SINGAPORE reclaims Skytrax ‘world’s best airline’ from Qatar as Ryanair (65th) overtakes Aer Lingus (70th)

Singapore Airlines crowned World’s Best Airline at Skytrax awards
Sixth time achieving global number-one ranking
Qatar Airways dropped to second place
Air France captured World’s Best First Class
AirAsia won World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for 17th year

Singapore Airlines has been crowned the World’s Best Airline at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards reclaiming the top spot from last year’s winner Qatar Airways which dropped to second place. The gala ceremony took place on Friday 18 September 2026 at The Langham Hotel in London. This marks the sixth time Singapore Airlines has achieved the global number-one ranking in the award’s 25-year history.

Singapore Airlines also secured trophies for World’s Best Economy Class and World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering. Qatar Airways earned the title of World’s Best Business Class for the 13th time, Best Airline in the Middle East and became the inaugural winner of the newly introduced World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi award. Air France captured the World’s Best First Class award. Cathay Pacific Airways was recognised for having the World’s Best Cabin Crew.

Turkish Airlines won three regional awards including Best Airline in Europe. AirAsia continued its streak winning World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 17th consecutive year.

Ryanair was ranked 65th in the world (compared to 63rd in 2025) and Aer Lingus 70th (compared to 55th in 2025). The awards have generated controversy over the years regarding their methodology, financial transparency, and conflicts of interest. While airlines aggressively market these accolades when they win, citics suggest that the 5-Star tier disproportionately favours carriers that actively hire Skytrax for consulting audits. High-profile carriers like Emirates have notoriously been excluded from Skytrax’s elite “5-Star Airline” list despite winning top overall accolades and offering globally praised premium products.

Etihad Airways formally withdrew from Skytrax, stating that its internal customer tracking metrics were far more objective. A public war of words ensued when Skytrax claimed that an airline “cannot demand to be withdrawn” from a public passenger vote, leading to confusion over how an airline can opt out of a system it doesn’t want to participate in.

In August 2026, internal corporate leaks suggested that longtime winner Qatar Airways intended to cut or heavily scale back its commercial relationship and marketing attachment to Skytrax. Though Qatar Airways ultimately accepted multiple category trophies at the September 2026 ceremony, where Singapore Airlines reclaimed the top spot, the incident suggests a volatile, transactional friction built into these industry rankings.

A primary source of controversy is Skytrax’s refusal to open its data up to independent audits. Skytrax claims its global rankings are based on the world’s largest independent passenger satisfaction surveys (polling upwards of 20m to 25m travellers annually). However, they do not disclose their specific data-cleaning processes, how they prevent duplicate voting, or how they weight sample populations Critics have noted that Skytrax operates with extreme secrecy. The London-based consultancy has previously ignored or refused to answer investigative queries regarding its exact survey mechanics, corporate structure, or standard operating procedures.

The most severe criticism stems from Skytrax’s dual business model as both an independent awards body and a paid corporate consultancy firm. Skytrax generates revenue by selling expensive auditing and quality consulting services directly to airlines. Industry skeptics argue that it is a conflict of interest to charge airlines millions of dollars to “help them improve” while simultaneously acting as the judge that hands out influential 5-Star ratings and global awards.

Overall / Flagship Awards

Airline of the Year / Airline: Singapore Airlines
Airline Alliance: Oneworld

Cabin Class Awards

First Class: Air France
Business Class: Qatar Airways
Premium Economy Class: EVA Air
Economy Class: Singapore Airlines

Cabin Crew & Staff

Airline Cabin Crew: Cathay Pacific Airways
Airline Staff: (regional winners include Malaysia Airlines for Asia, Delta Air Lines for North America, Iberia for Europe.)