Singapore Airlines Named World's Best Airline of 2026 by Skytrax, Beating Qatar Airways

KOMPAS.com - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been named the world's best airline at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The award, announced in London on Friday (9/18/2026), marks the sixth time Singapore Airlines has received this prestigious honor.

“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,” said Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong, as quoted in an official statement on Saturday (9/19/2026).

“This accolade stands as a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our employees, who continually strive to uphold SIA's renowned standards of service and operational excellence,” he added.

Last year's winner, Qatar Airways, took second place in 2026, followed by Cathay Pacific Airways in third, ANA (All Nippon Airways) in fourth, and Turkish Airlines in fifth.

The ranking of the world’s best airlines in 2026 is based on an annual survey conducted by Skytrax.

The London-based research company surveyed 325 airlines from September 2025 through August 2026, gathering input from 24.8 million travelers across more than 100 countries.

“We congratulate Singapore Airlines on this significant achievement — being named the world's best airline of 2026, highlighting the exceptional level of product and service they deliver to customers,” said Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted.

Plaisted added that Singapore Airlines also earned the titles for the world's best economy class airline and the best in-flight catering in economy class.

“This success should be a great source of pride and motivation for the management and staff of Singapore Airlines, made even more remarkable as this is the sixth time in the history of these awards that Singapore Airlines has won this highest distinction,” he said.

KOMPAS.com/HENDRA CIPTA Low-cost carrier Scoot officially launched direct flights on the Pontianak–Singapore route via Supadio International Airport, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Monday (6/29/2026).

In addition to Singapore Airlines, Scoot — the low-cost carrier and subsidiary of SIA — was also named the best long-haul low-cost airline of 2026 by Skytrax.

This marks Scoot’s sixth consecutive win. The airline also secured second place in the global best low-cost airline category, following AirAsia.

Singapore Airlines and Scoot carried a record 42.2 million passengers from April 2025 to March 2026, a 7.7 percent increase over the previous year, according to The Straits Times.

Top 20 Best Airlines in the World for 2026 by Skytrax

Dok. Qatar Airways Illustration of a Boeing 777-9 belonging to Qatar Airways.

The top rankings for the world's best airlines are dominated by Asia-based carriers, including: