Skytrax has released its ranking of the world's top airlines for 2026, with the winner announced in coverage published by CNN Arabic on Saturday, 19 September 2026. The list names the world's best carrier for the year and places twenty airlines in total, according to Euronews, which reported that only six of those twenty are European.
Saudi Arabian Airlines, the kingdom's flag carrier, took 15th place in the global table and collected two awards from Skytrax, according to the Saudi newspaper Sabq. Separately, the Saudi Press Agency reported that flynas was named the best low-cost airline in the Middle East for the ninth year running.
The results drew regional comparison, with Arabian Business framing its coverage around which Gulf market — Qatar, the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia — leads in aviation. The ranking arrives as Gulf carriers continue to compete for long-haul passengers and international recognition.
The material reviewed does not name the airline that took the top spot for 2026.
Attention now turns to how the carriers placed in the list respond to the results, and whether the Gulf's showing shifts the competitive balance among the region's three major aviation hubs.