U.S. Carriers Absent From the List of the World’s Top 20 Airlines Again. Here’s Who Took the Top Spot.

Updated: November 5, 2025, 2:20am CST

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Qatar Is the Airline of the Year for the Ninth Time
Final Thoughts

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The 2025 World Airline Awards took place during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport. Qatar Airways was crowned Airline of the Year for the ninth time, and no U.S. airlines appeared in the top 20.

“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 present, quality consistency is clearly well recognized by customers when they vote for these airlines,” said Edward Plaistead, CEO of Skytrax.

Qatar Is the Airline of the Year for the Ninth Time

Luanched in 1999, the World Airline Awards are an annual event hosted by Skytrax. It ranks the world’s top 20 airlines with an overall winner and hands out several more awards in specific categories, as determined by travelers voting in a large passenger satisfaction survey.

More than 325 airlines around the world were eligible to receive awards. After travelers voted, here’s how the top 20 shook out:

Several carriers on the list are repeat winners, such as Singapore Airlines — which has taken top honors 5 times — Cathay Pacific — which edged out Emirates and ANA to take third place — and, of course, Qatar Airways, which won world’s best airline for an incredible ninth time.

Cathay Pacific 777 300ER takeoff JFK — Image Credit: Alberto Riva

The World Airline Awards crowns a winner in numerous other categories, including World’s Best Cabin Crew (won by Singapore Airlines), World’s Most Family Friendly Airlines (won by Lufthansa), World’s Most Improved Airlines (won by Starlux Airlines), and more.

While U.S. airlines were conspicuously absent from the top 20 airlines list, 1 U.S. airline took home an award. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was awarded Best Airline Staff Service in North America.

“This recognition is a tribute to the Delta people who bring their best to every customer on every one of our 5,000 daily flights,” said Ralph Albus, Delta’s director of global communications. “We’re honored that 200 million customers choose Delta each year, and trust us to be part of their journey.”

While it’s great to see a U.S. airline awarded at the World Airline Awards, the top 20 list is the most prestigious recognition, and once again no U.S. airlines made an appearance on the list, which is disappointing.

Hot Tip:

It’s no surprise Qatar Airways is the world’s best airline for the ninth time. The airline is known for its Qsuite business class product, which is routinely rated the best business class on the planet.

Final Thoughts

The world’s top 20 airlines for 2025 have been revealed, and Qatar Airways took the top spot for the ninth time — an impressive feat. One U.S. airline, Delta, did go home with an award, but no U.S. carriers made the coveted top 20 list.

Here’s hoping next year will be the year that all changes!