Qatar Airways has once again soared to the top, being named the “World’s Best Airline” at the highly anticipated 2025 World Airline Awards. The prestigious announcement took place during a glittering gala ceremony at the Paris Air Show, held within the magnificent art deco Hall of Eight Columns at Le Bourget airport’s Air and Space Museum.
The event, often referred to as “the Oscars of the aviation industry,” welcomed approximately 500 guests, including numerous airline Chairmen, CEOs, and Presidents from across the globe, who accepted their accolades. A familiar sight at the World Airline Awards, uniformed airline crew proudly represented their brands, adding to the grandeur of the occasion.
The World Airline Awards, established in 1999, are renowned for their complete independence and impartiality. Skytrax, the organizers, solely bear the costs of the customer surveys and the awards event, ensuring unbiased results.
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, commented on the evening’s outcomes: “We were pleased to see a significant number of past winners return, alongside the welcome presence of new faces and airlines. The repeated recognition of many previous winning airlines clearly demonstrates that customers highly value consistent quality when casting their votes.”
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Group CEO of Qatar Airways, expressed immense pride in the airline’s remarkable achievement: “Being recognized as the World’s Best Airline for an unprecedented ninth time is an extraordinary honor. This award signifies far more than just a title; it is a testament to the passion, precision, and purpose that define Qatar Airways. To maintain this distinction in an intensely competitive and constantly evolving global industry reflects the unwavering dedication across all facets of our operations, from our frontline teams to those working behind the scenes. The commitment of our people continues to set new benchmarks in aviation.”
Al-Meer further highlighted the airline’s additional triumphs: “We are equally proud to have been named the Best Airline in the Middle East, to once again hold the title of the World’s Best Business Class, and to be recognized for offering the Best Business Class Airline Lounge experience globally. These accolades reinforce our ambition not just to lead, but to redefine what exceptional service means in aviation. Whether on the ground or in the air, we strive to deliver a seamless, elevated journey that anticipates our passengers’ needs and embodies the highest standards of quality, comfort, and innovation. Our continuous recognition as a 5-Star Airline further underscores our mission: to establish new industry benchmarks and ensure our passengers feel genuinely cared for, valued, and inspired to choose us again. These awards are not merely wins for us; they are a tribute to the trust of millions of travelers who fly with us every year and a clear validation of our vision to shape the future of air travel.”
Global Airline Rankings and Key Accolades
Singapore Airlines, a five-time winner of the prestigious Airline of the Year award, secured the second spot globally for 2025. Cathay Pacific Airways ascended to third place, with Emirates ranking fourth and ANA All Nippon Airways completing the top five among over 325 airlines evaluated in the survey.
The World Top 20 Airlines in 2025 are:
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Emirates
ANA All Nippon Airways
Turkish Airlines
Korean Air
Air France
Japan Airlines
Hainan Airlines
Swiss Int’l Air Lines
EVA Air
British Airways
Qantas Airways
Lufthansa
Virgin Atlantic
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia)
STARLUX Airlines
Air Canada
Iberia
Edward Plaisted of Skytrax congratulated Qatar Airways: “It is a truly remarkable achievement for Qatar Airways to secure the World’s Best Airline title for 2025, marking their ninth victory in the awards’ history. Qatar Airways delivered outstanding results across numerous categories, with their Business Class earning the World’s Best Business Class award, and their Al Mourjan Garden Lounge being named the World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge. We extend our warmest congratulations to Qatar Airways on these successes, which should be a tremendous source of pride for the airline’s leadership and staff.”
Singapore Airlines also received top honors for the “World’s Best Cabin Crew,” and their First Class Suites continued to impress, winning the award for the “World’s Best First Class.” In one of the most competitive airline service regions, Singapore Airlines also claimed the “Best Airline in Asia” accolade.
Taiwanese carrier STARLUX Airlines was awarded the “World’s Most Improved Airline 2025,” recognizing their significant quality enhancements across the entire awards program. Earlier in the Paris event, STARLUX Airlines also achieved a 5-Star Airline Rating for the first time, bringing the global total of 5-Star airlines to eleven.
Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX Airlines, who accepted the awards, remarked: “Receiving the 5-Star Airline award is an immense honor and a profound encouragement for everyone at STARLUX. Having launched operations in 2020, reaching this milestone highlights the resilience and passion of our entire team. We are incredibly thrilled and deeply grateful for the trust our passengers place in us and the unwavering dedication of our team. STARLUX will continue to expand our network and elevate our standards for safety and service, offering travelers worldwide a warm and refined experience in the sky.”
AirAsia continued its winning streak, securing the “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” award for the sixteenth consecutive year, a title it has held since 2010. Scoot was recognized as the “World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline.”
Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and co-founder of AirAsia, expressed his astonishment: “To win the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline Award for 16 years in a row is simply incredible. From flying just 200,000 guests in our first year to aiming to welcome our one billionth guest this year – this journey has been made possible by the unwavering support of our guests and the tireless dedication of our incredible Allstars. We thank the Skytrax team for acknowledging our work, and I dedicate this award to my Allstars; it truly belongs to them. Thank you for believing in the dream.”
Air Transat was named the “World’s Best Leisure Airline,” marking its third consecutive triumph in this category. Pamela Lloyd-Bergeron, Air Transat Director In-Flight Service, commented, “Receiving this award for the seventh time and third year in a row is an honor for everyone at Air Transat. It reflects our dedication to delivering excellent service and memorable journeys for our passengers.” Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Transat, added, “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and resilience of our teams. Their commitment to providing outstanding service is the reason behind our success.”
ANA All Nippon Airways, in addition to its No. 5 global ranking, was honored with the “World’s Best Airport Services” award and the “Best Airline Staff Service in Asia.”
German low-cost carrier Eurowings achieved its first triumph at the World Airline Awards, securing the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe” title in a highly competitive market. Allegiant Air was named the “Best Low-Cost Airline in North America,” and JetSMART earned the “Best Low-Cost Airline in South America.”
Estuardo Ortiz, CEO & Founder of JetSMART Airlines, stated: “For all of us at JetSMART, receiving the World Airline Award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in South America for the third time is an incredible honor. This recognition is a tribute to the passion and commitment of all our JetSMART Rockstars, who work hard every day and on every flight to deliver a consistently on-time, reliable service aboard our modern Airbus A320 and A321 fleet — always with a friendly, Latin spirit. We have already connected nearly 40 million people across South America, and we thank each and every one of them for trusting us. As the leading ultra-low-cost carrier in the region, this is just the beginning.”
Lufthansa was recognized as the “World’s Most Family Friendly Airline,” an award covering various family-oriented features such as seating policies, check-in facilities, priority boarding, children’s meals and amenities, onboard entertainment, luggage policies for infants, and service assistance from ground and cabin crew.
Plaza Premium received the award for the “World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge operator,” with their lounge at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport ranking as the best in 2025.
Cathay Pacific received the award for the “World’s Best Inflight Entertainment,” surpassing Emirates (2nd) and Qatar Airways (3rd).
Saudia was honored with the “Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East” award. H.E. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, commented: “This award reflects the dedication of our incredible frontline team and the trust of our guests. While we celebrate this milestone, our journey continues—with bold investments and a clear vision to become one of the world’s leading airlines.”
In the Regional Airline Awards, for airlines primarily operating domestic and/or international flights up to approximately 6 hours, Bangkok Airways claimed the “World’s Best Regional Airline” title for the ninth consecutive year, affirming its status as a true customer favorite.
Within the India / South Asia region, low-cost airline IndiGo received the top award as the “Best Airline in India / South Asia,” in addition to being named the “Best Low-Cost Airline” for the region.
Qantas Airways made a strong return to the World Airline Awards, being named the “Best Airline in Australia / Pacific.” Virgin Australia secured the awards for “Best Airline Staff Service in Australia / Pacific” and “Best Regional Airline” for the region.
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group CEO, stated: “To be recognised as the Best Airline Australia & Pacific reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering for our customers and is testament to the exceptional work of our people. I want to sincerely thank our incredible team of more than 29,000 people around the world, who bring such passion and pride to the work they do every single day. This award belongs to them.”
In North America, Air Canada topped the awards as the “Best Airline in North America.” Air Canada’s Toronto Pearson Signature Suite also won the “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” award.
Delta Air Lines received the award for the “Best Airline Staff Service in North America.” Ralph Albus, Delta’s Director of Global Communications, said: “This recognition is a tribute to the Delta people who bring their best to every customer on every one of our 5,000 daily flights. We’re honored that 200 million customers choose Delta each year, and trust us to be part of their journey. Skytrax is the gold standard in airline rankings, which makes this award especially meaningful.”
In Africa, Ethiopian Airlines secured the “Best Airline in Africa” award for the seventh consecutive year, while FlySafair was named the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa.”
Turkish Airlines was recognized as the “Best Airline in Europe,” and also won awards for “World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering” and “Best Airline in Southern Europe.”
China’s Hainan Airlines received awards for “Best Airline in China,” “Best Airline Staff Service in China,” and “World’s Best Business Class Comfort Amenities.”
Zhu Tao, Chairman of Hainan Airlines, expressed his honor: “We are truly honored to be recognized as a Five-Star Airline for the 14th consecutive year. This award reflects the dedication of our entire team, who embody our ‘Five Heart’ service principle—Heart of Original Aspiration, Heart of Craftsmanship, Heart of Assurance, Heart of Sincerity, Heart of Care. As we look to the future, we will continue to integrate the essence of oriental culture with modern innovation, deepening our international interpretation of end-to-end service model to create exceptional travel experiences for global passengers under the philosophy of ‘Fly Your Dreams’.”
Air France was a multiple winner, being named the “Best Airline in Western Europe,” receiving the award for the “World’s Best First Class Comfort Amenities,” and its Paris CDG Terminal 2 Lounge winning the “World’s Best First Class Lounge Dining” award.
Star Alliance collected the award as the “World’s Best Airline Alliance” and also won the “Best Airline Alliance Lounge” award for its Paris CDG Airport Lounge at Terminal 1.Some of the key Top 10 Ratings in the 2025 World Airline Awards
The World’s Best Cabin Crew 2025
Singapore Airlines
ANA All Nippon Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
Garuda Indonesia
EVA Air
Hainan Airlines
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Starlux Airlines
Korean Air
The World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines 2025
AirAsia
Scoot
Indigo
Eurowings
Vueling Airlines
Volotea
Transavia
Iberia Express
Flynas
easyJet
The World’s Best Regional Airlines 2025
Bangkok Airways
Virgin Australia
Porter Airlines
Aegean Airlines
Azerbaijan Airlines
jetBlue Airways
Alaska Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines
RwandAir
Royal Air Maroc
The World’s Most Family Friendly Airlines 2025
Lufthansa
British Airways
Emirates
The World’s Cleanest Airlines 2025
EVA Air
ANA All Nippon Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
The World’s Best Leisure Airlines 2025
Air Transat
TUI Airways
SunExpress
The World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment 2025
Cathay Pacific Airways
Emirates
Qatar Airways
The World’s Best Airport Services 2025
ANA All Nippon Airways
Japan Airlines
EVA Air
The World’s Most Improved Airlines 2025
Starlux Airlines
ITA Airways
HK Express
The World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge 2025
Plaza Premium – FCO
Chase Sapphire Lounge – LGA
America Express Centurion – JFK
The World’s Best First Class Airlines 2025
Singapore Airlines
Emirates
Air France
The World’s Best Business Class Airlines 2025
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Cathay Pacific
The World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airlines 2025
Virgin Atlantic
Japan Airlines
Emirates
The World’s Best Economy Class Airlines 2025
Cathay Pacific
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
