Emirates crowned ‘Best Overall Airline in the Middle East’ at 2026 APEX Awards

Dubai: Emirates has been named 'Best Overall Airline in the Middle East' at the 2026 APEX Best in Airline Awards, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading travel brands. The award was presented at a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland, recognising the airline’s consistent delivery of an exceptional customer experience. The accolade was based on verified passenger feedback, with Emirates achieving outstanding scores across five key categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and connectivity. Passenger evaluations highlighted Emirates’ commitment to comfort across its Airbus A380, Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 fleets, supported by ongoing cabin retrofit programmes and the introduction of new-generation seating products across all travel classes. The airline was also recognised for its multicultural cabin crew, representing more than 140 nationalities and speaking over 70 languages, alongside a service philosophy centred on excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion. In the food and beverage category, Emirates earned high ratings for its multi-course dining experiences, destination-inspired menus and extensive range of beverages offered across all cabin classes, including premium offerings in Business and First Class. Its award-winning ice inflight entertainment system was another key contributor to the recognition, offering more than 6,500 channels of content, including films, television programmes, music, podcasts, live sport and educational content. Emirates’ investment in onboard connectivity also received strong passenger approval. Through its partnership with Starlink, the airline is introducing high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity across its fleet. More than 33 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and the first three Airbus A380 aircraft have already been equipped with the technology, with full fleet deployment expected by mid-2027. The APEX Awards are based on independent passenger feedback collected through APEX’s partnership with TripIt from Concur, one of the world’s most widely used travel-planning applications. For the 2026 awards, more than one million flights across over 600 airlines worldwide were evaluated using a five-star rating system.