Singapore Airlines has taken back the crown at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with Qatar Airways slipping to second and Cathay Pacific holding third.
Passengers vote with their memories of small things: a lounge that feels like a secret, a suite door that closes, a crew member who remembers your name.
Recognising what it takes to stay at the top in such a competitive field, Skytrax has named Singapore Airlines the World’s Best Airline for 2026, with the Lion City’s carrier moving up from second place and nudging defending champion Qatar Airways down to number two, something industry insiders attribute to operational irregularities that often frustrate fliers.
These coveted annual awards rest on a passenger survey that covers more than 300 airlines and more than 100 nationalities, leading them to be dubbed the ‘Oscars of the Skies‘.
The Top Five
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific has maintained its third-place ranking from last year, while Japan’s ANA All Nippon Airways has managed to climb its way up to the fourth spot, with Turkish Airlines rounding out the top five rankings.
In a blow to the UAE-carrier, Emirates has slipped two places to sixth, while Korean Air fell from seventh to tenth.
Cabins and Crews
Despite operational challenges in 2026, Qatar Airways still took the business class prize, with its Q-Suite (above) named World’s Best Business Class Seat, with Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, ANA and Hainan Airlines following close behind. The Doha-based airline also won best airport lounge for its Al Mourjan Business – The Garden.
In first class, Air France won the top award for its La Première product ahead of Singapore Airlines, whose First Class Suite was named the world’s best seat, and Lufthansa, which won for onboard catering. Cathay’s newly relaunched The Wing lounge in Hong Kong was named the best first-class lounge.
When it comes to service, Cathay Pacific was also named World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew, with Singapore Airlines second and Malaysia Airlines third, showing Asian hospitality continues to dominate aviation. Malaysia Airlines also won Best Airline Staff Service in Asia, while ANA took Best Airport Services, and STARLUX Airlines, up five places to 13th, was named the world’s cleanest airline.
The Newcomer
The most surprising name on the list is Sun PhuQuoc Airways (above), an airline that’s yet to celebrate its first anniversary and yet slipped into the top 100 rankings at 99, taking the fifth spot for World’s Most Improved Airlines as well as a leisure-airline award for Asia. Reports say it aims to have 33 aircraft by the end of 2026 and 60 in 2027, so it’s certainly one to watch.
What Could Make Them Stronger
Several winners have exciting new products in the works that are sure to make next year’s rankings even more compeditive. Singapore Airlines will unveil its all-new First and Business Class in early November, with the first retrofitted A350s due in the first quarter of 2027.
In addition, Cathay Pacific has fitted its Aria Suite business class to 17 Boeing 777-300ERs and aims to finish its long-haul fleet by the end of next year, while Air France will retrofit its four-cabin 777-300ERs with the new La Première suite by the end of 2026, and now flies the award-winning cabin to Singapore and Tokyo.
Qatar’s next-generation Qsuite and new First Class are tied to the Boeing 777-9, which Boeing has said will not be delivered before 2027.
For travellers in Asia, three of the top four airlines are on your doorstep. The real test comes when the new cabins fly.
