No African Airline Breaks Into Global Top 20 Skytrax Awards Despite Ethiopian Win
No African airline has secured a place among the world’s 20 best carriers in the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with Ethiopian Airlines emerging as the continent’s highest-ranked carrier after being named Africa’s best airline.
Singapore Airlines took the overall top honour at the 2026 awards ceremony held at the Langham Hotel in London, reclaiming the title from Qatar Airways and extending its record of success in the highly competitive global airline rankings.
The result means that while Africa retained its continental title through Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s leading carrier was still unable to break into the elite global top 20.
Skytrax said the rankings were determined through a global customer satisfaction survey conducted by the UK-based aviation consultancy, with airlines assessed on various aspects of the passenger experience.
Singapore Airlines was followed by Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), Turkish Airlines and Emirates in the first six positions.
The remaining places in the top 20 were occupied by Air France, Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, Qantas Airways, STARLUX Airlines, Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Iberia, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Swiss International Air Lines and Thai Airways.
The list was particularly dominated by airlines from Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with African carriers conspicuously absent.
Ethiopian Airlines, despite being named the best airline in Africa, was not among the 20 airlines ranked globally.
Singapore Airlines’ return to the summit marked its sixth overall victory in the 25-year history of the Skytrax awards. The airline had previously claimed the coveted title in 2023, 2018 and several times during the 2000s.
Qatar Airways, which won the overall award last year, dropped to second place but continued to collect major honours, including the titles of Best Airline in the Middle East, Best Business Class, Best Airline for Onboard Wi-Fi and Best Business Class Lounge.
Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Goh Choon Phong, attributed the airline’s success to its workforce.
The award, he said, was a “testament to the dedication and professionalism of our people”.
The airline also won awards for Best Economy Class and Best Economy Class Catering.
Skytrax Chief Executive Officer, Edward Plaisted, said the quality of airline passenger services continued to improve despite the difficult operating environment confronting the industry.
“The passenger experience, mainly driven by the industry’s increasingly fierce competition, is always getting better,” Plaisted told CNN.
He noted that the industry was operating in what he described as “a bit of a bad year”, amid geopolitical tensions and other pressures affecting airlines worldwide.
The 2026 awards were held against the backdrop of rising fuel prices, conflicts, aircraft delivery delays and growing geopolitical uncertainty.
The report cited the Iran conflict, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, increasing oil prices, delays in new aircraft deliveries and strained US international relations among the issues weighing on the aviation sector.
Despite the challenges, Plaisted maintained that airlines were continuing to improve the services offered to passengers.
The awards also highlighted the changing competitive landscape, with Taiwanese carrier STARLUX Airlines receiving recognition for its rapid rise. It secured a five-star Skytrax rating and was named the world’s cleanest cabin.
Cathay Pacific won awards for Best Airline Cabin Crew and Best First Class Airline Lounge, while Air France was recognised for Best First Class.
EVA Air took the Best Premium Economy award.
In the low-cost airline category, AirAsia was named the leading carrier, followed by Scoot, Vueling, Eurowings and Iberia Express.
Bangkok Airways was named Best Airline in Asia as well as Best Regional Airline globally.
Turkish Airlines was named Best Airline in Europe, LATAM was recognised as the leading carrier in South America, while Air Canada took the North American title.
Air Canada also won the award for Best Business Class Lounge Dining. Air Canada Executive Vice President, Mark Nasr, said intensifying competition and higher fuel costs were making premium passengers increasingly important to airline profitability.
“The industry is getting more competitive,” Nasr said.
He added that airlines were increasingly targeting passengers with higher spending power and investing in products capable of attracting and retaining them.
“With fuel prices increasing so much, the airlines that will be able to sustain themselves will be the ones able to charge a premium to justify their products,” he said.
The 2026 Skytrax results present a mixed picture for African aviation: Ethiopian Airlines maintained its position as the continent’s leading airline, but no African carrier made the global top 20, highlighting the continuing challenge for Africa’s airlines to compete with the world’s most highly rated carriers on overall passenger experience.
