Turkish Airlines Wins Three Major Honours at Skytrax World Airline Awards 2026
Turkish Airlines secured three major accolades at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, winning “Best Airline in Europe,” “World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering” and “Best Airline in Southern Europe.” The airline also climbed to fifth place in Skytrax’s “World’s Best Airlines” ranking, reinforcing its position among the leading carriers in international aviation.
The awards were presented at a ceremony in London on 18 September 2026. Turkish Airlines received eight awards in total across the Economy and Business Class categories in Europe and Southern Europe, highlighting its performance across different aspects of the passenger experience.
The results added to the airline’s record of recognition at the annual awards, particularly in European aviation and onboard dining.
Turkish Airlines Named Best Airline in Europe for the 11th Time
Turkish Airlines received the “Best Airline in Europe” award for the 11th time at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards.
The recognition highlighted the carrier’s standing in the European aviation market and its focus on delivering a consistent passenger experience across its network. The airline serves destinations around the world and has built its international presence around connectivity, Turkish hospitality and a range of onboard services.
The Skytrax World Airline Awards are widely known in the aviation industry for recognising airlines across multiple service and product categories. Passenger evaluations play a central role in the awards, providing feedback on the experiences travellers receive when flying with participating carriers.
For Turkish Airlines, the latest European title represented a significant achievement as the airline continued to compete with established international carriers on service quality, onboard comfort and hospitality.
The airline also secured the “Best Airline in Southern Europe” title for the 13th time, strengthening its recognition across two important regional categories.
Turkish Airlines Wins World’s Best Business Class Catering
Alongside its regional airline awards, Turkish Airlines received the “World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering” award for the 10th time.
The recognition highlighted the airline’s approach to onboard dining, an important part of the premium passenger experience. Business Class catering can play a significant role in differentiating an airline’s offering, particularly on longer journeys where food quality, presentation and service contribute to overall comfort.
Turkish Airlines has developed its onboard dining offering as part of its broader service proposition, combining hospitality with culinary experiences designed for passengers travelling internationally.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted congratulated the airline on its achievements, highlighting its global ranking, European title and business-class catering recognition.
“We congratulate Turkish Airlines on these fabulous achievements at the 2026 World Airline Awards. Being named the Best Airline in Europe, ranking No 5 worldwide, and winning the award for the World’s Best Business Class Catering that reflects the partnership with Turkish DO&CO, which continues to set industry benchmarks. Turkish Airlines provide a well-developed product to customers combined with high levels of service hospitality.”
The recognition also highlighted the contribution of the airline’s catering partnership with Turkish DO&CO to its onboard dining proposition.
Turkish Airlines Climbs to Fifth Place Worldwide
Turkish Airlines rose to fifth place in Skytrax’s “World’s Best Airlines” ranking for 2026, further strengthening its international profile.
The global ranking recognises airlines across a range of passenger-facing services and product experiences. Reaching fifth place placed Turkish Airlines among the highest-ranked carriers in the awards’ worldwide assessment.
The airline’s three headline honours complemented this global ranking, demonstrating recognition across overall airline performance, regional service and premium onboard dining.
In addition to the three major accolades, Turkish Airlines received five further awards across Economy and Business Class categories in Europe and Southern Europe. These additional recognitions brought the carrier’s total awards at the ceremony to eight.
Together, the results reflected the breadth of the airline’s performance across different passenger segments rather than a single service category.
Leadership Highlights Passenger Experience and Turkish Hospitality
Commenting on the results, Prof. Murat Şeker, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, said the awards reflected the airline’s commitment to maintaining high standards throughout the passenger journey.
“We are delighted to be named ‘Best Airline in Europe’ for the 11th time, and to lead in further categories. This achievement once again demonstrates the international recognition of the high standards we uphold throughout our guests’ travel experience, from service quality to our culinary offering. The fact that these awards are based directly on our passengers’ evaluations makes them particularly meaningful to us. As we bring Turkish hospitality to guests from around the world, we continue to work to further enhance our service quality at every touchpoint. I would like to thank all our colleagues who contributed to this achievement and our guests for their trust in us. As Turkish Airlines, we will continue to proudly represent our country in the skies and continue shaping the future of global aviation.”
The statement emphasised the importance of passenger feedback and the airline’s focus on improving service across its operations.
For Turkish Airlines, hospitality extends beyond the flight itself to encompass the different interactions passengers experience throughout their journey. The airline’s latest awards recognised its performance in several areas, from its broader service offering to the dining experience available to Business Class travellers.
Turkish Airlines Continues to Expand Its Global Presence
Turkish Airlines describes itself as the airline flying to more countries than any other carrier in the world and holds a Guinness World Record for the breadth of its flight network spanning six continents.
Its extensive network supports international connectivity for leisure and business travellers, linking destinations across multiple regions. The airline’s position at the intersection of Europe, Asia and other international markets has also helped establish its role in global aviation.
Alongside its network, Turkish Airlines has highlighted sustainability, technology and innovation as areas of continued focus. These priorities form part of the wider competitive environment in which airlines seek to improve operational performance and deliver better passenger experiences.
The 2026 Skytrax results added to the carrier’s international recognition, with awards covering overall airline performance, regional leadership and premium catering.
Eight Skytrax Awards Strengthen Turkish Airlines’ Industry Standing
The 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards marked another significant year for Turkish Airlines, with eight awards recognising its performance across several categories.
Winning “Best Airline in Europe” for the 11th time, securing “Best Airline in Southern Europe” for the 13th time and receiving the “World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering” title for the 10th time underscored the airline’s established presence in the awards.
Its rise to fifth place in the global ranking provided further recognition of its standing among international carriers.
As competition across the aviation industry continues, passenger experience remains an important area of differentiation. Turkish Airlines’ latest achievements highlighted its approach to service, onboard dining and hospitality while reinforcing its position as a prominent global airline.
The awards also recognised the contribution of the airline’s teams and service partners in delivering the experience passengers encounter onboard. With eight accolades at the 2026 ceremony, Turkish Airlines continued to strengthen its profile in European and international aviation.
Ahmed Abdul Wasey
Managing Editor, Eat ‘N Stays
Ahmed Abdul Wasey is the Managing Editor in Eat ‘N Stays, overseeing all editorial coverage of travel, hospitality, and food across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. He sets the publication’s editorial direction and reviews coverage across hotels, restaurants, tourism, cruise, and industry news before it publishes.
Have a story tip, correction, or question about our coverage? Reach Ahmed directly at pr@eatnstays.com.
