From chic cabin service to stellar seat comfort across the globe, the demands we make on board planes are becoming greater - and some carriers are more up to the task than others.The best airlines around the world have been revealed in the APEX Best Awards 2026, which recognise excellence in seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and WiFi. The Best Food & Beverage Awards are presented in conjunction with the International Flight Services Association (IFSA).There is not one overall winner - rather, a selection of the best in each category from around the world, and then best airline for each region.Here's a rundown of the global top carriers and the European winners to inspire your next flight booking... GLOBALBest Cabin Service: Korean Air The first airline in the list is Korean Air, the winner of Best Cabin ServiceKorean Air, the flag carrier of South Korea, has been awarded the prestigious title of Best Cabin Service. It has been widely recognised as one of the best in the business for years, having previously scooped up awards and accolades such as five-star certification from Skytrax.Plus, Korean Air's safety record has significantly improved in recent years, moving from one of the world's most dangerous airlines to 2025's eighth safest airline.Best Entertainment: Emirates Emirates also received a stellar rating from APEX, notably for its entertainmentThe Best Entertainment global award went to Emirates, the UAE's flag carrier.On board flights with this airline, you can access up to 6,500 channels with its award-winning in-flight system, ranging from weather, news and sport reports to music, radio or podcasts.Plus, the collection of movies available to watch is vast, with more than 600 international films in 50 languages among the offerings.Best Food & Beverage: Qatar Airways In the awards, Qatar Airways was handed the title of Best Food & BeverageNext up is Qatar Airways, known for its quality service and high-end offerings.Passengers say Qatar Airways has the best food and drink - and, in the Middle East-specific category of the APEX awards, the best WiFi too.The airline's meals are crafted by world-class chefs and 'focus on local fresh and in-season ingredients', its website explains, with notable highlights including Alaskan crab meat cannelloni and lobster in First Class.Best Seat Comfort: Eva Air Next up is EVA Air, a Taiwan-based carrier known for its high qualityTaiwan-based EVA Air has been labelled 'five-star' previously, and has now scooped up the award for Best Seat Comfort.Skytrax previously said: 'The seating, amenity and food and beverage standards across all three onboard cabins are very good, with EVA Air rightly attributed as the pioneer of Premium Economy class back in 1992.'One Tripadvisor review wrote: 'EVA is the most comfortable premium economy product I've experienced. Good choice! EVA are good in all cabin classes.' Best WiFi: Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines was given the award for the best WiFi on boardFinally, Delta Air Lines - a major airline in the United States - won in the Best WiFi category.With fast, free WiFi presented by T-Mobile and available across nearly 1,200 aircraft – more than any other US airline - it's an impressive, but perhaps unsurprising, win.Its stellar offering is down to Delta's Connected Onboard Platform (CoP), which permits excellent connectivity on board.EUROPEBest Overall Airline: Virgin Atlantic Airways Meanwhile, in Europe, Virgin Atlantic Airways was ranked best overallVirgin Atlantic Airways is no stranger to scooping up awards - and this year, it won APEX's Best Overall Airline for Europe.The British airline was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, and connects more than 200 cities around the world.It was voted Britain's only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the ninth year running in the Official Airline Ratings in 2025.Best Cabin Service: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KLM Royal Dutch Airlines joins the list, for its immaculate cabin serviceKLM Royal Dutch Airlines has cabin crew that are reputed to go the extra mile - hence the airline's win in the Best Cabin Service category.Even on the shortest flights, KLM serves a snack and drink, and on longer flights within Europe, you'll also be offered a fresh sandwich.The airline is also happy to help customers with children, with bassinet options and child-friendly entertainment available. Best Entertainment: Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines scooped up the prize for Best EntertainmentYou're unlikely to get bored on a Turkish Airlines flight, the winner of Best Entertainment.The carrier's music collection features playlists from more than 2,000 artists, and it also offers an endless array of movies and even special options for children.The airline's website says: 'You won't notice how time flies during your flight! We have enriched the content on our Planet inflight entertainment system with the latest selections. You will enjoy your flight even more with the best entertaining movies, albums, games and other new contents!' Best Food & Beverage: Turkish Airlines In a double whammy, the Turkish carrier also won Best Food & BeverageThat's not all for Turkish Airlines - the carrier also scooped up the award for Best Food & Beverage in Europe.Turkish Airlines chief marketing officer Ahmet Olmuştur said: 'We are very glad to be recognised by APEX as the Best Food & Beverage airline in Europe for the fifth time. 'This award speaks to the passion and craftsmanship our teams pour into every meal we serve above the clouds, starting from menu design to the moment it reaches our guests.'Best Seat Comfort: Finnair If you're searching for top-notch seat comfort, Finnair is the way to goFor ultimate seat comfort on board a flight in Europe, opt for Finnair, the winner in this category.Finnair's seats are designed with maximum comfort and space in all classes.The crown jewel? The Business Class AirLounge seat, which offers furniture-like comfort and a contoured shell design and turns into a spacious lay-flat bed with a proper mattress pad.Best WiFi: airBaltic Rounding out the list is airBaltic, winning in the Best WiFi categoryAirBaltic has been awarded Best WiFi in Europe for 2026 by APEX.The airline is the Latvian flag carrier and a leading airline in the Baltic States, connecting the region with more than 80 destinations across Europe and beyond. It was the first European airline to offer free high-speed SpaceX Starlink internet onboard its flights, having launched the service in February 2025. 2026 APEX Best Award Winners GLOBAL Best Cabin Service: Korean AirBest Entertainment: EmiratesBest Food & Beverage: Qatar AirwaysBest Seat Comfort: Eva AirBest WiFi: Delta Air LinesCENTRAL/SOUTHERN ASIABest Overall Airline: Air AstanaBest Cabin Service: Air IndiaBest Entertainment: Air IndiaBest Food and Beverage: SriLankan AirlinesBest Seat Comfort: IndiGoBest WiFi: Uzbekistan AirwaysEAST ASIABest Overall Airline: Singapore AirlinesBest Cabin Service: Korean AirBest Entertainment: ANA Best Food and Beverage: Korean AirBest Seat Comfort: Royal BruneiBest WiFi: Japan AirlinesGREATER CHINABest Overall Airline: EVA AirBest Cabin Service: China AirlinesBest Entertainment: Cathay PacificBest Food and Beverage: Xiamen AirBest Seat Comfort: China Eastern AirlinesBest WiFi: Cathay PacificSOUTH PACIFICBest Overall Airline: Air New ZealandBest Cabin Service: Fiji AirwaysBest Entertainment: QantasBest Food and Beverage: Fiji AirwaysBest Seat Comfort: Virgin AustraliaBest WiFi: QantasAFRICA Best Overall Airline: Ethiopian Airlines Best Cabin Service: RwandAir Best Entertainment: South African AirwaysBest Food & Beverage: South African Airways Best Seat Comfort: Royal Air MarocBest WiFi: EgyptAirEUROPEBest Overall Airline: Virgin Atlantic AirwaysBest Cabin Service: KLM Royal Dutch AirlinesBest Entertainment: Turkish AirlinesBest Food & Beverage: Turkish AirlinesBest Seat Comfort: FinnairBest WiFi: airBalticMIDDLE EASTBest Overall Airline: EmiratesBest Cabin Service: SAUDIABest Entertainment: EmiratesBest Food & Beverage*: Etihad AirwaysBest Seat Comfort: Oman AirBest WiFi: Qatar AirwaysNORTH AMERICABest Global Airline: AeromexicoBest Major Airline: Breeze AirwaysBest Low-Cost Carrier: Southwest Airlines Best Regional Airline: JSXBest Entertainment: Delta Air LinesBest Food & Beverage*: JetBlue AirwaysBest Seat Comfort: JetBlue AirwaysBest WiFi: Hawaiian AirlinesSOUTH AMERICABest Overall Airline: AzulBest Cabin Service: LATAM Airlines GroupBest Entertainment: LATAMBest Food & Beverage*: GOL Linhas AereasBest Seat Comfort: Aerolineas ArgentinasBest WiFi: GOL Linhas Aereas
World's best airlines named in the 2026 APEX Best Awards
The titles have been dished out at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) awards with categories including Best WiFi and Food & Drink.
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