The 20 best airlines in the world, ranked by passengers

Singapore Airlines was named the best airline in the world in 2026. Kevin Carter/Getty Images The aviation rating company Skytrax announced its 2026 World Airline Awards on Friday. Flyers evaluated airlines on factors like cleanliness, lounges, and offerings in different classes. Singapore Airlines was named the world's best airline for the sixth time. And the Oscar for best airline goes to… The aviation rating company Skytrax announced the winners of its annual 2026 World Airline Awards, known as "the Oscars of the aviation industry," on Friday. To determine the winners, Skytrax conducted the world's largest airline passenger satisfaction survey. From September 2025 to August 2026, customers from over 100 nationalities completed Skytrax's questionnaire in eight languages, evaluating airlines on their cleanliness, onboard WiFi, airport services and lounges, and offerings in economy, business, and first class , among other factors.