According to Experts.news, Turkish Airlines took first place among European airlines in the regional ranking of the 2026 World Airline Awards by the international organization Skytrax, published on September 18.
Air France took second place among European carriers, and Lufthansa took third. They were followed by Iberia, Virgin Atlantic, Swiss International Air Lines, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Finnair.
Thus, the ranking of the top ten European airlines is as follows: Turkish Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Iberia, Virgin Atlantic, Swiss, British Airways, KLM, Austrian Airlines, and Finnair.
Skytrax also published separate rankings by European region.
In Western Europe, Air France took first place, Lufthansa second, and Virgin Atlantic third. In Northern Europe, Finnair took the lead, followed by SAS Scandinavian and Icelandair.
In Southern Europe, Turkish Airlines also took first place, Iberia second, and Vueling Airlines third.
In Central Europe, LOT Polish Airlines topped the rankings. Wizz Air took second place, and Croatia Airlines came in third. These carriers are of particular practical importance to Ukrainian passengers, as a significant portion of international flights now operate through airports in neighboring European countries following the closure of Ukraine’s civil airspace.
In Eastern Europe, Latvia’s airBaltic topped the 2026 ranking. Air Serbia came in second, and Georgian Airways took third. Bulgaria Air and Romania’s TAROM also made it into the top five.
The World Airline Awards are based on an international passenger survey. The 2025/2026 survey was conducted from September 2025 through August 2026 and covered more than 300 airlines. Respondents represented over 100 nationalities.
According to Experts.news, Singapore Airlines was named the world’s best airline at the 2026 World Airline Awards, the results of which were announced by the international ranking organization Skytrax on September 18 in London.
Qatar Airways, which topped the global ranking in 2025, took second place, while Cathay Pacific Airways came in third. The top five also included Japan’s ANA All Nippon Airways and Turkish Airlines.
The top 10 best airlines in the world in 2026 were:
Singapore Airlines
Qatar Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
ANA All Nippon Airways
Turkish Airlines
Emirates
Air France
Hainan Airlines
Japan Airlines
Korean Air
Thus, half of the top ten were airlines from East and Southeast Asia. Among European carriers, Turkish Airlines and Air France made the top 10, while Emirates and Qatar Airways represented the Middle East.
Singapore Airlines won the top title of “World’s Best Airline” for the sixth time in the award’s history. In 2026, the carrier was also recognized as the world’s best for economy class and in-flight meals in economy class.
Qatar Airways, which took second place, received the award for Best Business Class and was also named the Best Airline in the Middle East. Additionally, in 2026, Skytrax presented the award for Best In-Flight Wi-Fi for the first time, which was also won by Qatar Airways.
The World Airline Awards have been organized by Skytrax since 1999 and are based on a passenger survey. The survey for the 2026 rankings took place from September 2025 through August 2026. Passengers from over 100 countries participated, and the final results included more than 300 airlines.
Respondents evaluated service at the airport and on board, seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, in-flight meals, staff performance, check-in, boarding, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi, and value for money.
Source: Skytrax World Airline Awards.
The Boryspil international airport remained third in the Skytrax Airport Awards in Eastern Europe 2019 from Britain’s Skytrax.
The Budapest airport is first and the Tallinn airport is second.
The Buchrest airport is fourth and Belgrad airport is fifth.
The Boryspil international airport was also third in the Skytrax Airport Awards in Eastern Europe 2019.
Skytrax, established in 1989, is an international air transport rating organization.
