We are not flying high.
International air transport ranker Skytrax has ranked the best airlines in the world for 2026 — with Singapore Airlines soaring above the rest while US carriers struggled to get off the ground.
Often called the Oscars of Aviation, the 2026 World Airline Awards were announced on September 18 at London’s ritzy Langham Hotel.
The results were based on a global passenger satisfaction survey taken from September 2025 to August 2026 by participants representing over 100 nationalities.
They whittled down the winners from over 300 airlines, ranking them based on every metric from Wi-Fi to best airport lounge.
Singapore Airlines was crowned the airline of the year, edging out the defending champion Qatar Airways.
This marked the sixth time Singapore had won the accolade since the debut of the Skytrax World Airline Awards in 1999.
“We congratulate Singapore Airlines on this major achievement of being named the World’s Best Airline 2026, which highlights the level of product and service excellence they are providing to customers,” declared Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted.
Singapore also won titles for World’s Best Economy Class, and the World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering.
Following close behind in their jet-stream was Qatar Airways, which has been named the Airline of the Year a staggering nine times.
The Middle-Eastern carrier was also recognized as the World’s Best Business Class Airline — the 13th time they were bestowed this honor — while their Al Mourjan Business Lounge, The Garden, was named the World’s Best Business Class Lounge.
In addition, Qatar Airways snagged the world’s inaugural award for the World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi.
Rounding out the top three in this air travel pantheon were Cathay Pacific Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
US carriers, on the other hand, failed to attain the rarified air. Delta Airlines led the US fleet in 26th place, followed by United in 45th place — up 6 spots from last year.
Meanwhile, Air Canada was the only North American carrier to crack the top twenty, soaring to a lofty 17th place.
These are the 10 best airlines in the world for 2026
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Emirates
- Air France
- Hainan Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
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