Singapore Airlines Named World’s Best Airline for 2026
LONDON, September 18, 2026 — Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been named the World’s Best Airline for 2026 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, reclaiming the prestigious title for the sixth time.
SIA last won the top award in 2023, while Qatar Airways, which held the title last year, placed second in the 2026 rankings. Cathay Pacific Airways secured third place, followed by All Nippon Airways in fourth and Turkish Airlines in fifth.
Singapore Airlines also received several other major awards, including World’s Best Economy Class, World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in Asia. The airline was also ranked second in the World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew category.
SIA Group Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong thanked customers for their continued support, saying the recognition reflected the dedication of the airline’s employees and their focus on service and operational excellence.
Meanwhile, SIA’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot was named the World’s Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline for the sixth consecutive year.
Scoot also secured second place in the World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines category, behind Malaysia’s AirAsia and ahead of Spain’s Vueling Airlines.
The 2026 Skytrax awards were based on a global survey involving more than 24.8 million travellers, who evaluated over 300 airlines between September 2025 and August 2026.
The awards, which were launched in 1999, are widely regarded as one of the aviation industry’s leading global benchmarks for airline service and passenger experience.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted congratulated Singapore Airlines and Scoot on their achievements, describing the results as recognition of the quality of products and services delivered by the Singapore Airlines Group.
The recognition comes as Singapore Airlines and Scoot reported a record 42.4 million passengers carried during the 2025–2026 financial year, representing a 7.7% increase from the 39.4 million passengers recorded in the previous financial year.
However, the airline group continues to face financial and operational pressures. Singapore Airlines reported a net loss of S$76 million in the first quarter of 2026, with higher fuel costs linked to turmoil in the Middle East and a larger share of losses from Air India weighing on its results.
Supply chain challenges have also affected the airline’s fleet upgrade plans, with the rollout of new first and business class seats on its Airbus A350 aircraft delayed to the first quarter of 2027, compared with the earlier target of the second quarter of 2026.
