Qatar Airways Wins World's First-Ever Best Onboard Wi-Fi Award, Beats Global Rivals

Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar, has received the inaugural award for the “World's Best Onboard Wi-Fi” in the 2026 edition of the World Airline Awards. Ratings agency Skytrax organised the ceremony in London.

The “world's best Wi-Fi” recognition was one of the four awards given to Qatar Airways at the ceremony. The nine-time winner of the best overall airline globally emerged in second place this year, replaced by Singapore Airlines. Qatar Airways also won in the “Best Airline in the Middle East” category.

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On the recognition, Hamad Al Khater, Qatar Airways Group CEO, said: “We are honoured to receive four World Airline Awards from Skytrax, including the World's Best Business Class for a thirteenth time and the first award ever given for the World's Best Onboard Wi-Fi. These awards belong to our people. Sixty thousand colleagues deliver the best experience in the world for our passengers every day…”

In a statement, Skytrax said it introduced the best Wi-Fi category this year to “reflect the importance to today's customer experience of fast and free onboard connectivity.”

Qatar emerged at the fourth spot on the “World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment”; and third on “World's Best Economy Class Airlines”.

Where Indian Airlines Stand:

As per the list shared by Skytrax, IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express also featured in the award. IndiGo emerged as the winner in the “Best Low-Cost Airline in India & South Asia” and “Best Airline Cabin Crew in India & South Asia”. Air India and Air India Express, both owned by the Tata Group, followed.

Globally, Air India emerged as India's top airline at 57th, up from 82nd last year. IndiGo followed at 61st rank, down from 39th last year.

Also Read: World Airline Awards 2026: IndiGo Named As 'Cleanest Airline' In India And South Asia

Skytrax, established in 1989, is based in London. Its annual World Airline and Airport Star Rating programme is based on passenger surveys and was organised at London's Langham Hotel. According to its website, Skytrax says it funds the survey and awards process without sponsorship or entry fees. The 2025/26 survey ran from September 2025 to August 2026 and covered over 300 airlines and over 100 nationalities.