Every year, aviation rankings flood the headlines, usually compiled by experts who scrutinise safety records, punctuality, and fleet age. But AirlineRatings.com has taken a different approach with its Flyers' Choice Awards 2026, basing the results entirely on traveller votes. The outcome is a clear victory for Asian carriers, with Singapore Airlines emerging as the standout performer.
The awards cover a range of categories, from favourite low-cost carrier to best cabin crew uniform, best livery, and preferred business and economy classes. This year, Singapore Airlines swept four categories: preferred economy airline, best cabin crew service, best airline in central and south east Asia, and the airline that gave the greatest peace of mind.
Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com, praised the results, noting that travellers value consistency and trust. “We are incredibly fortunate to live in a world where travellers have so many airlines delivering safe, reliable and reassuring experiences,” she said. “The continued strength of brands like Singapore Airlines and Qantas in the Peace of Mind category is a real credit to the trust they have built with passengers over many years. Confidence in an airline is earned over time, and these results demonstrate the value of that consistency.”
European carriers struggle to make an impact
For European airlines, the awards made for sobering reading. The only notable mentions came in the low-cost and peace-of-mind categories. easyJet was named joint-third best low-cost carrier globally, sharing the spot with Australia's Jetstar, while Vietjet Air took the top prize and AirAsia came second. In the peace of mind category, which was expanded beyond the top three, Latvia's airBaltic managed sixth place, behind Singapore Airlines, Qantas, and Etihad Airways.
Elsewhere, European carriers failed to break into the top ranks for best livery, preferred business class, preferred premium economy, preferred economy, best cabin crew uniform, or best cabin crew. The absence of names like Lufthansa, British Airways, and KLM from the upper echelons of these categories is notable, given their prominence in global aviation. The results suggest that, at least among the travellers who voted, Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are setting the standard for passenger experience.
The dominance of Asian carriers is not entirely surprising. Airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways have long invested heavily in service quality and cabin comfort, and their reputations are reflected in these rankings. For European airlines, the challenge is to close the gap in areas where they have traditionally been strong, such as premium cabins and crew service.
While the awards are based on subjective traveller opinions, they offer a useful barometer of passenger sentiment. For European carriers, the message is clear: to compete on the global stage, they may need to look beyond their traditional strengths and learn from the best in Asia. As the aviation industry continues to recover and evolve, these rankings could serve as a catalyst for change.
