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This airline was just named the best in the world — for the ninth time

By Mark Reif Published June 18, 2025

Qatar Airways A350 — Qatar Airways / Qatar Airways

At the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, Qatar Airways earned recognition as the World’s Best Airline for the ninth time. That’s more titles than any airline during the award’s existence, demonstrating the carrier’s continued excellence.

Qatar Airways won several more awards

Qatar Airways not only won the World’s Best Airline award but also took home honors in several categories, demonstrating its commitment to premium offerings. The carrier also won for World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class Lounge (Al Mourjan Lounge – The Garden at Hamad International Airport), and was rated a Skytrax Five-Star Airline.

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Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group CEO, said: “This recognition is far more than an award, it is a celebration of the passion, precision and purpose that defines who we are as an airline. We are equally proud to have been named the Best Airline in the Middle East, to once again hold the title of the World’s Best Business Class, and to be recognized for offering the Best Business Class Airline Lounge experience globally.”

Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “We welcomed back a large number of previous winners and were also delighted to see new faces and airlines represented here today. As is indicated by so many former winning airlines being awarded again, quality consistency is clearly well recognised by customers when they vote for these airlines.”

The World’s Top 20 Airlines for 2025:

Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Emirates
ANA All Nippon Airways
Turkish Airlines
Korean Air
Air France
Japan Airlines
Hainan Airlines
Swiss Int’l Air Lines
EVA Air
British Airways
Qantas Airways
Lufthansa
Virgin Atlantic
Saudi Arabian Airlines
STARLUX Airlines
Air Canada
Iberia

Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the…

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