2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards: Singapore Airlines Tops for Sixth Time, Hainan Airlines Ranks Ei…

Key points

• The 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards were announced in London, covering September 2025 to August 2026 and based on over 24.8 million passenger surveys across more than 300 airlines.
• Singapore Airlines won World's Best Airline for the sixth time and also took World's Best Economy Class and Best Economy Class Catering; its low-cost unit Scoot won World's Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline for a sixth consecutive year.
• Qatar Airways ranked second globally and won Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class and Best Business Class Lounge, plus the new Best Inflight Wi-Fi award.
• Cathay Pacific ranked third globally and won World's Best Cabin Crew and World's Best First Class Lounge.
• Hainan Airlines ranked eighth, the only mainland Chinese carrier in the global top 10 of this year's top 20.
• The global top six were Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Turkish Airlines and Emirates.
• Traditional European and US carriers underperformed: British Airways dropped out of the global top 20, and Air Canada was North America's only entrant.
• The top five low-cost airlines were AirAsia, Scoot, Vueling, Eurowings and Iberia Express; STARLUX was upgraded to a five-star airline and won World's Cleanest Cabin, while EVA Air won World's Best Premium Economy Class.