World’s best airlines 2026 revealed: Qatar Airways No.2, Emirates No.6, Saudia No.15

Singapore Airlines has been ranked the world's best airline in 2026, according to Skytrax. The airline took the top spot from Qatar Airways, which was ranked second. The rankings are based on a survey of almost 25 million travellers.

Qatar Airways was followed by other Middle Eastern carriers, including Emirates, which was ranked sixth, and Saudia, which was ranked 15th. Etihad was ranked 22nd. The list was dominated by Asian carriers, with only one European airline, Air France-KLM, making the top 10.

The Skytrax recognition comes at a time when premium travel is rising in popularity. According to the South China Morning Post, Air France's La Premiere first class was also awarded the top prize. The conflict in the Middle East has had a significant impact on airlines, with soaring oil prices and dampened consumer demand.

Brief written by urgent.news from Arabian Business, South China Morning Post — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.