Skytrax unveiled its 2026 airline ranking in London on September 18, with Singapore Airlines returning to number one ahead of Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific. Air France climbed to seventh overall, while several other results matter to francophone travellers: La Première was named the world’s best First Class, Air Transat retained its leisure-airline title and Paris-Charles de Gaulle remained in the global airport top 10.
Singapore Airlines returns to number one
Singapore Airlines took the top global position in 2026, winning the title for the sixth time. Qatar Airways, winner in 2025, placed second, followed by Cathay Pacific.
The 2026 top 10 is:
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Emirates
- Air France
- Hainan Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
The list again shows the strength of Asian and Gulf carriers in passenger-satisfaction rankings.
Air France rises to seventh and wins a major premium award
Air France moved from eighth in 2025 to seventh in the world in 2026.
It also won World’s Best First Class for the first time, following the launch of its new La Première cabin in 2025. Air France also received awards for First Class lounge dining and its amenity kit.
The airline was named Best Airline in Western Europe for the sixth consecutive year.
Air Transat remains a leisure-airline reference
Canada’s Air Transat was again named World’s Best Leisure Airline, its eighth win in the category.
The result is particularly relevant to the Quebec market as Air Transat expands from Montreal with new or planned links including Dakar, Agadir, Reykjavik and Istanbul.
Royal Air Maroc also appears in the 2026 results
Royal Air Maroc ranked eighth globally among regional airlines. The category reflects perceived quality among carriers with a strong regional role.
RAM does not appear in the overall global top 20, but its presence in the regional ranking reinforces its international visibility.
What Skytrax actually measures
The ranking is based on an international passenger survey conducted from September 2025 to August 2026. Skytrax and Singapore Airlines say more than 24.8 million eligible responses were included, covering travellers from more than 100 nationalities and over 300 airlines.
Passengers assess service, staff, comfort, catering, ground experience and the overall journey. Skytrax says airlines do not pay to be included in the survey or ranking.
As with any satisfaction-based ranking, the result is not an absolute measure of operational quality. It primarily reflects passenger perception.
Paris-CDG remains among the world’s leading airports
Skytrax’s airport ranking, published earlier in 2026, placed Singapore Changi first, ahead of Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo-Haneda.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle improved from seventh to sixth in the world and was named Europe’s best airport for the fifth consecutive year.
The global top 10 airports were Singapore Changi, Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Haneda, Hong Kong, Tokyo-Narita, Paris-CDG, Rome-Fiumicino, Istanbul, Munich and Vancouver.
Paris-Orly ranked 34th, while Montreal-Trudeau reached 46th, up from 51st in 2025.
What the 2026 ranking says about the market
Beyond the trophies, the results show several persistent trends: Asian airlines remain dominant in perceived service quality, Gulf carriers retain very high positions, and European airlines that improve tend to do so through premium cabins, catering and a stronger end-to-end passenger experience.
For French and francophone travellers, the 2026 edition is broadly positive: Air France rises overall and wins the First Class category, Air Transat remains the leisure benchmark and Paris-CDG continues to climb among major international hubs.
Main sources
Skytrax World Airline Awards 2026; Air France; Singapore Airlines; Air Transat; Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026.
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