The awards are based on a customer survey running throughout the year. In the 2025-2026 year, more than 24.8 million passengers from over 100 countries took part in the survey, evaluating more than 300 airlines.
Singapore Airlines rose up one place from 2025 to claim the number one position, with Qatar Airways, ranked first last year, coming in second in 2026.
“This award is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our people, who continually strive to uphold SIA’s renowned standards for service and operational excellence,” said Singapore Airlines CEO, Goh Choon Phong.
“We are grateful to our customers for their trust and support and we are committed to delivering an exceptional, world-class travel experience every time they fly with us.”
The Singaporean carrier was also ranked first for best economy class and second for best cabin crew, best inflight entertainment and best first and business class cabins.
Singapore Airlines’ low cost subsidiary Scoot also came second amongst the world’s best low-cost carriers.
After Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, the remainder of the top 10 best airlines in the world were, in descending order, Cathay Pacific Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines and Korean Air.
Australian airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia ranked 12th and 37th respectively, while Air New Zealand took the number 32 spot.
Air France took the honours for best first class cabin, while Qatar Airways won the business class cabin category and Taiwanese carrier Eva Air triumphed in premium economy.
