Skytrax · 2026
The airlines
that lead
Skytrax rates airlines across product, service and ground experience. A five-star rating is held by fewer than ten airlines worldwide at any given time. Here is what separates them — and where every other carrier stands.
Search flightsThe top tier worldwide
Consistently good
Meeting the standard
Updated annually by Skytrax
The methodology
What the rating actually measures
Skytrax audits airlines across over 800 individual performance criteria — covering cabin product, staff service, catering, cleanliness, check-in, boarding, lounges and ground services. The process combines mystery passenger research, customer survey data, and on-site inspection of facilities.
A five-star rating does not mean an airline is perfect on every route or in every cabin. It means the airline consistently operates at the highest level across the entire passenger journey, from booking to arrival. Ratings are reviewed annually and can be revoked.
10
Five-star airlines in 2026
Fewer than 12 airlines have ever held five-star status simultaneously
The highest tier
The 10 five-star airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore
The benchmark by which all others are measured. Consistently ranked first across cabin product, service quality and soft product. The Suites on the A380 remain the finest commercial flying experience in the world.
Qatar Airways
Doha
The Qsuite redefined business class. Qatar's investment in cabin product, ground experience and network breadth has made it the go-to choice for travellers who refuse to compromise. Hub at Hamad International — itself a five-star airport.
ANA All Nippon Airways
Tokyo
Japanese precision applied to every detail of the journey. The Room suite on the 777-9 is one of the most thoughtfully designed cabins in the sky. Onboard service is unhurried, attentive and deeply consistent.
Japan Airlines
Tokyo
A perennial five-star carrier whose reputation rests on staff training as much as hardware. The Sky Suite on long-haul routes is excellent; the washoku dining option — traditional Japanese cuisine in lacquered boxes — is available nowhere else at altitude.
Cathay Pacific Airways
Hong Kong
The reverse herringbone seat that Cathay perfected became the template for a generation of business class products. Direct aisle access, a calm cabin, and a ground experience anchored by one of the world's great airport lounges in Hong Kong.
EVA Air
Taipei
Taiwan's premium carrier quietly maintains one of the most consistent products in Asian aviation. The Royal Laurel business class — a fully flat herringbone seat — punches above its weight on the Taipei–London route.
Korean Air
Seoul
A five-star carrier that is frequently underestimated by Western travellers. The Prestige Suite cabin on the A380 and 787 is a serious product; Seoul Incheon is one of Asia's most efficient transit hubs.
Asiana Airlines
Seoul
South Korea's second major carrier holds its five-star status through consistent service quality and a premium cabin product that rivals much larger airlines. The Incheon hub makes it a natural choice for Asia-Pacific routing.
Hainan Airlines
Haikou
The only Chinese mainland carrier to hold five-star status — a distinction it has maintained through genuine investment in cabin product and service training rather than fleet size. An outlier in a domestic market that rarely prioritises the premium experience.
STARLUX Airlines
Taipei
The youngest five-star carrier in the world, founded in 2020. STARLUX entered the market with a clear intention to compete at the very top — the Business Class cabin on the A321neo is one of the most refined narrow-body products flying.
Complete rankings
All 149 rated airlines
10 five-star · 73 four-star · and beyond
Showing 149 of 149 airlines · Source: Skytrax 2026
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