London, United Kingdom – Qatar Airways has once again soared above the competition, earning the coveted title of ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the Business Traveller Awards 2025. The Doha-based carrier took home a total of six accolades, underscoring its dominance in global aviation and its continued commitment to redefining the travel experience.

In addition to the top honour, Qatar Airways claimed several other major awards, including ‘Best Business Class in the World’, ‘Best Economy Class in the World’, ‘Best Airline Lounge in the World’ for its Al Mourjan Lounges at Hamad International Airport, ‘Best Frequent Flyer Programme in the World’, and ‘Best Airline Between Europe and the Middle East’.

Held at London’s Sky Garden, the annual Business Traveller Awards gathered leaders from across the travel, hospitality, and aviation industries to celebrate excellence in service, innovation, and experience. The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of industry experts with decades of experience in global travel and customer experience evaluation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Thierry Antinori, Chief Commercial Officer of Qatar Airways, expressed gratitude for the recognition: “We are honoured to receive these prestigious accolades that reflect our unwavering commitment to excellence. Being named World’s Best Airline, alongside recognition for our Business and Economy Class cabins, loyalty programme, and lounges, is a testament to our dedication to delivering unparalleled experiences at every touchpoint. These awards reaffirm our position as a global leader and inspire us to continue setting new benchmarks for comfort, connectivity, and service.”

Mr. Michael Keating, Chief Commercial Officer of Ink Global, which organises the awards, praised the airline’s performance: “Qatar Airways performed outstandingly well in this year’s Business Traveller Awards, winning five of the seven global airline categories and six awards in total. From its industry-leading Business Class to exceptional inflight service and innovations such as free Starlink Wi-Fi, Qatar Airways is a truly deserving winner. We were delighted to celebrate their success in London and look forward to seeing how they continue to shape the future of premium travel.”

This recognition marks another milestone in a landmark year for Qatar Airways, as it expands its network to more than 170 destinations worldwide and continues to introduce cutting-edge products and services. As the national carrier of the State of Qatar, the airline remains steadfast in its mission to deliver world-class hospitality and elevate the passenger experience for millions of travellers around the globe.

About Business Traveller

For nearly five decades, Business Traveller has stood as the definitive voice of the globally mobile executive. With flagship editions in the UK, Asia-Pacific, the United States, Germany, the Middle East, India, and Africa, Business Traveller delivers incisive journalism, discerning reviews and authoritative analysis across every facet of the travel experience, aviation and hospitality to technology and corporate culture.

At its core, Business Traveller exists to elevate the journey. We distil the latest airline innovations, the finest airport lounges, transformative destinations and items of essential luxury for the time-sensitive audience. Through intelligent features, insider perspectives, and global reportage, Business Traveller offers thought leadership that sits ahead of the curve - spanning curated hotels and resorts, wellness and design, and the executive lifestyle that reflects the ambition, experience, and refinement of our readers.

Wherever work meets wanderlust, Business Traveller is there connecting decision-makers, frequent flyers and luxury brands. to inform of course, but also to inspire and to facilitate the burgeoning trifecta of business, travel and lifestyle.

Beyond print and digital, Business Traveller extends its reach through broadcast - including ReachTV screens across North America, Bloomberg Television, YouTube, as well as maintaining a leading presence on all major social channels. Coupled with premium placement in first-class airline lounges and myriad leading hotel groups, Business Traveller commands an audience of influence wherever mobility meets luxury.

With its expanding global circulation and trusted editorial authority, Business Traveller offers partners and advertisers a distinctive, measurable platform at the intersection of business and travel. We connect the world’s most premium travellers with the brands that move with them.

For more information, visit businesstraveller.com.

King Abdulaziz International Airport has continued to set unprecedented records since the beginning of this year, starting 2026 with exceptional performance during January. The total number of passengers reached 5.45 million, achieving a growth rate of 7.3% compared to the same month in 2025.

The airport also recorded a total of 29,200 flights, reflecting an 11% growth compared to the same period last year. The total number of baggage handled amounted to 6.6 million bags, with an 8% increase compared to January of the previous year.

The airport experienced its highest operational week in history, with 1.28 million passengers between January 11 and 17, 2026, highlighting the ongoing operational momentum. Additionally, January 17 marked the airport's highest operational day, with 195,300 passengers and 1,089 flights, demonstrating the efficiency of operational processes and the infrastructure's readiness to meet the growing demand for travel.

These results are part of Jeddah Airports Company’s efforts to enhance the travel experience, meet passenger needs, and provide more travel options, in line with the accelerating growth in air traffic and aligned with the aviation program's objectives.

It is noteworthy that Jeddah Airports Company has been managing and operating King Abdulaziz International Airport since its establishment in 2022, and is working on implementing the aviation program derived from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, in line with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Singapore was named the world’s second-richest country in 2025 based on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, though its standing declined once average working hours were factored into the analysis, according to The Economist.

With a GDP per capita of about US$90,700, the city-state trailed only Switzerland, which led the list at roughly US$100,000. Norway followed closely in third at US$86,800. However, when adjusted for hours worked, Norway overtook its rivals to claim the top position globally, while Qatar and Denmark secured second and third places respectively. Singapore fell to eighth place, ranking just behind the Netherlands under the new measure.

Figures from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower indicated that local employees clocked an average of 43.3 working hours per week in 2024. In contrast, data from the International Labour Organisation showed that Norwegian workers averaged just 33.2 hours weekly over the same period — a significant gap that contributed to Norway’s rise in the adjusted rankings.

In a related study conducted by Remote.com, Singapore ranked 25th out of 60 nations in the 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index, earning a score of 57.85 out of 100. New Zealand, Ireland, and Belgium dominated the list with scores of 86.87, 81.17, and 75.91 respectively. Despite its mid-tier ranking overall, Singapore remained Asia’s best-performing country for work-life balance.

Etihad Airways has been named the world’s safest full-service airline for 2026 by AirlineRatings, securing the top position among 320 airlines assessed worldwide for safety, operational performance and product standards. The recognition marks a historic achievement for the region, as Etihad becomes the first Gulf carrier to lead the prestigious global safety rankings.

The UAE’s aviation sector featured prominently in the list, with Dubai-based Emirates ranking fifth among full-service airlines, while flydubai earned a place in the Top 25 within its category. Qatar Airways also appeared in the rankings, reinforcing the Middle East’s growing prominence in global aviation safety and operational excellence.

Published annually, the AirlineRatings safety rankings are regarded as one of the industry’s most authoritative benchmarks. The assessment framework evaluates a wide range of criteria, including incident rates relative to flight volumes, fleet age, records of serious incidents, pilot training standards and compliance with international safety audits.

For the 2026 edition, increased weight was given to turbulence mitigation, the leading cause of in-flight injuries. Airlines’ participation in the IATA Turbulence Aware programme, along with comprehensive onboard safety audits, played a significant role in determining the results.

Etihad secured the top ranking ahead of major global carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, ANA and British Airways.

According to AirlineRatings, the airline’s first-place position was driven by its young and modern fleet, advanced cockpit safety systems, strong turbulence management protocols, a crash-free operational history and the lowest incident rate per flight among all airlines evaluated. Etihad also undertook an independent onboard safety audit, demonstrating a high level of compliance with cabin safety and turbulence procedures.

In the low-cost category, the Top 25 Safest Airlines for 2026 included Jetstar, Scoot, easyJet, Wizz Air Group, Ryanair, AirAsia and Southwest. To ensure consistency and reliability, AirlineRatings excluded airlines operating fewer than 25 aircraft, focusing the assessment on high-frequency operators.

AirlineRatings chief executive Sharon Petersen highlighted several notable developments in this year’s rankings, including the first-ever inclusion of Spring Airlines China, making it the first Chinese carrier to feature in any AirlineRatings list, and AirBaltic’s significant rise into the top 10.

She also noted that HK Express secured the top low-cost airline safety title for the second consecutive year, supported by a modern fleet, an exceptionally low incident rate and an almost flawless onboard safety audit.

Petersen emphasised that the 2026 results illustrate how closely matched the world’s safest airlines have become. Fewer than four points separated airlines ranked from first to 14th, while just 1.3 points distinguished the top six. She cautioned against interpreting small numerical differences as meaningful safety gaps, stressing that all airlines in the Top 25 represent the highest standards of aviation safety.

While acknowledging that incidents occur across the industry, Petersen underscored that the rate of incidents per flight remains extremely low, reflecting the continued strength and reliability of modern commercial aviation worldwide.

Etihad Airways has triumphed at the 2025 World Travel Awards, bringing home three prestigious titles: World’s Leading Airline Customer Experience, World’s Leading Airline Economy Class, and World’s Leading Airline Lounge Business Class for its Premium Lounge at Zayed International Airport. These accolades were presented to the airline at the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony in Bahrain.

Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, expressed his pride in the achievements, saying, "Winning three global titles is a testament to the passion and dedication our entire team brings to every journey. These awards reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across all cabins and touchpoints, from the moment our guests arrive at Zayed International Airport to their in-flight journey."

Etihad was nominated in 13 categories, including World’s Leading Airline, World’s Leading Airline Rewards Programme (Etihad Guest), and World’s Leading Airline Cabin Crew. The airline’s hub at Zayed International Airport was also nominated for World’s Leading Airport and World’s Leading Airport Customer Experience.

2025 has been a record-breaking year for Etihad, marked by significant growth and innovation. A key milestone was the introduction of the new A321LR aircraft, enhancing the airline’s short- and medium-haul offerings. This aircraft features widebody comfort with two private First Class suites, 14 fully-flat Business Class seats, and 144 spacious Economy seats—all equipped with 4K screens and high-speed Wi-Fi. The A321LR’s addition strengthens Etihad’s premium offering strategy and provides an elevated travel experience on more routes with increased frequency.

Neves emphasized the impact of the A321LR, stating, "With this new aircraft, we offer a world-class experience on more routes, making it easier for guests to discover everything Abu Dhabi has to offer. Every improvement we’ve made reflects our commitment to providing travelers with the highest levels of comfort and care."

Earlier this year, Etihad also received five regional awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2025, including World’s Leading Airline Customer Experience and World’s Leading Airline Lounge Business Class.

The World Travel Awards are widely regarded as the ultimate recognition of excellence within the travel industry, having been established over 30 years ago to celebrate the best in travel, tourism, and hospitality.

flynas, the world’s leading low-cost carrier and the Middle East’s best LCC, has been honored with the Operational Excellence Award at the 2025 oneDXB Airport Excellence Awards, organized by Dubai Airports.The airline outperformed more than 100 regional and international carriers operating at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

This recognition at one of the world’s busiest airports underscores flynas’ commitment to excellence, innovation, and operational efficiency, as well as its continuous efforts to enhance the guest experience. The achievement also supports the airline’s growth and expansion strategy and its contribution to Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to connect the Kingdom to over 250 international destinations.

Dubai Airports, which operates and manages both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), highlighted that this year’s oneDXB Airport Excellence Awards introduced a renewed format. The awards celebrate partners that deliver exceptional travel experiences and uphold Dubai Airports’ vision of maintaining world-class operational standards amid growing passenger volumes.

flynas, the first airline listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), currently operates 139 routes to over 70 domestic and international destinations in 30 countries, with more than 2,000 weekly flights. Since its launch in 2007, the airline has carried over 80 million passengers and aims to expand its network to 165 destinations, in alignment with Vision 2030 and its long-term growth objectives.