Singapore Airlines (SIA) was named the world’s best airline at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards in London on Friday (Sep 18).

This is the sixth time Singapore Airlines has claimed the world’s best airline title, having last done so in 2023.

Qatar Airways, last year’s top airline, took second place in 2026, with Cathay Pacific Airways coming in third. All Nippon Airways ranked fourth while Turkish Airlines rounded out the top five.

SIA also won the awards for world’s best economy class, world’s best economy class onboard catering and best airline in Asia, and took second place in the world’s best cabin crew category.

“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 SIA group CEO Goh Choon Phong.

“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.”

SIA’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot, meanwhile, was named best long-haul low-cost airline for the sixth consecutive year.

The budget carrier also came in second in the world’s best low-cost airlines category after Malaysia’s AirAsia and ahead of Spain’s Vueling Airlines.

“This recognition validates Scoot’s commitment to providing our customers with comfortable, reliable and seamless travel experiences,” said Scoot CEO Leslie Thng.

“Scoot will continue to innovate, strengthen our operational resilience, and enhance the customer experience as we reinforce our position as a leading low-cost carrier.”

The awards were based on a survey of over 24.8 million travellers globally, who rated over 300 airlines between September 2025 and August 2026.

Introduced in 1999, the awards are described as the Oscars of the aviation industry, according to their organiser Skytrax.

“We congratulate the Singapore Airlines Group on the major achievement of being named the world’s best airline 2026 for Singapore Airlines, and the best long-haul low-cost airline for Scoot,” said Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted.

“These successes highlight the level of product and service excellence they are providing to customers and should be a source of great pride and motivation for the management and staff in the group.”

Singapore Airlines and Scoot carried a record total of 42.4 million passengers in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, 7.7 per cent more than the 39.4 million they served in the previous financial year.

However, the group also reported a net loss of S$76 million in the first quarter of 2026, as a 78.5 per cent increase in net fuel costs due to the turmoil in the Middle East and a larger share of losses from Air India weighed on results.

Supply chain constraints have also led to SIA delaying its rollout of new first and business class seats on its Airbus A350s to the first quarter of 2027, later than the initially announced second quarter of 2026.

Source: CNA

– Agencies