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Travel + Leisure

This Airline Was Just Named the Best in the World—and It's a 9-time Winner

For many travelers, flying has become little more than a way to reach a destination—efficient, often impersonal, and rarely memorable. But a select group of airlines continue to invest in the idea that the journey still matters. With refined cabins, thoughtful amenities, and attentive service, they aim to make time in the air feel less like transit and more like an experience. Each year, the Skytrax World Airline Awards, often referred to as 'the Oscars of the aviation industry,' recognize the carriers that deliver on that promise. First launched in 1999, the awards are based on global passenger surveys and are considered among the most respected honors in commercial aviation. At the June 17, 2025, ceremony in France, Qatar Airways was named the World's Best Airline for the second consecutive year and the ninth time in Skytrax history. Qatar Airways rose to the top out of more than 325 airlines that were included in the survey results. According to Skytrax's award and survey methodology, the ranking is 'not restricted to member airlines or a pre-selected choice of airline, and any airline in the world can be nominated. The focus of the survey is for customers to make their own, personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best, underlining the brand as the Passenger's Choice Awards.' 'Being named the World's Best Airline for the ninth time is an extraordinary honor," Qatar Airways Group CEO, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said in the Skytrax press release. "Being continuously recognized as a 5-Star Airline further underscores our mission: to set new benchmarks for the industry and to ensure that our passengers feel genuinely cared for, valued and inspired to return.' Qatar Airways, which is the flag carrier of Qatar and is headquartered in Doha, was also named the Best Airline in the Middle East. Qatar Airways' largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, is a flier favorite. It has two floors and one of the world's largest on-board lounges. Its business class—branded as Qsuites and includes a series of private suites with sliding doors—was named the World's Best Business Class, while the airline's Al Mourjan Garden Lounge in Doha was named the World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge. Singapore Airlines, which was No. 1 in 2023 and has won the award five times, held onto second place for the second year in a row. In third place for 2025 was Cathay Pacific, while Emirates came in at No. 4 and All Nippon Airways (ANA) at No. 5.