Emirates has been named ‘Best Overall Airline in the Middle East‘ at the 2026 APEX Best in Airline Awards, further cementing its reputation as one of the world’s leading carriers.
The award was presented during a ceremony held in Dublin, Ireland, recognising Emirates’ commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience across its global network.
The accolade was based on verified passenger feedback, with the airline receiving top ratings in five key categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and onboard connectivity.
Passenger reviews highlighted Emirates’ focus on comfort across its fleet of Airbus A380, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline’s ongoing cabin refurbishment programme and introduction of next-generation seating products across all travel classes also contributed to the recognition.
Emirates was additionally praised for its multicultural cabin crew, which includes team members from more than 140 nationalities and offers service in over 70 languages. The airline’s customer-focused approach, built around excellence, attentiveness, innovation, and hospitality, received strong passenger approval.
In the food and beverage category, travellers commended Emirates for its multi-course dining experiences, destination-inspired menus, and extensive beverage selection available across Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class cabins.
The airline’s award-winning ice entertainment platform was another major factor behind the achievement. The system provides access to more than 6,500 channels of content, including movies, television programmes, music, podcasts, live sports, and educational programming.
Emirates also earned recognition for its investment in onboard connectivity. Through its partnership with Starlink, the airline is rolling out high-speed, low-latency internet services across its fleet. More than 33 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and the first three Airbus A380s have already been equipped with the technology, with full deployment expected by mid-2027.
The APEX Awards are based on independent passenger feedback collected through TripIt from Concur, one of the world’s most widely used travel-planning platforms. For the 2026 edition, more than one million flights operated by over 600 airlines worldwide were evaluated using a five-star rating system.
The latest recognition adds to Emirates’ growing list of international accolades and reinforces its position as a benchmark for service excellence in the global aviation industry.
