This airline was voted the best in the world at the Oscars of aviation

A list of the world’s top 20 airlines has been revealed at the “Oscars of the aviation industry,” but only one UK carrier made the cut.

Held by London-based aviation rating organisation Skytrax, the winners are decided by what is believed to be the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey in the world.

The champion of the 2026 World Airlines Awards was Singapore Airlines, securing the top position out of a list of more than 300.

Mr Goh Choon Phong, the chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, said: “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.

“This award is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our people, who continually strive to uphold Singapore Airlines’ renowned standards for service and operational excellence.”

Last year’s winner, Qatar Airways, took second place, with Cathay Pacific Airways in third place, ANA All Nippon Airways ranking at number four and Turkish Airlines in fifth position.

Asian airlines dominated the top 20, with 12 airlines coming from the continent when including Turkish Airlines.

Europe had five entries: Air France in seventh, Lufthansa at fourteenth, Iberia at number sixteen and Swiss International Air Lines sneaking in at nineteenth.

The UK’s only airline that made it into the top 20 list was Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, which flies out of Edinburgh, Heathrow and Manchester to 32 locations across five continents.

Cathay Pacific took top honours for the World’s Best Cabin Crew and Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines came first in the World’s Cleanest Airline category.

AirAsia was the winner of the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline, while Air France conquered the category for World’s Best First Class.

Spanish low-cost airline Vueling achieved first place as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe.

The full list of winners for each category can be found on Skytrax’s website.