This Airline Just Won The Best Airline In North America Award

Each year, airlines around the world are recognized for their performance, staff, and all-around excellence. While some airlines stand out more than others, there's one in North America that has taken home the top accolade as the best of the best for 2026. Air Canada, famous for its crimson maple leaf logo, took the top spot for the prestigious Best Airline in North America award at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The Montreal-based airline is a symbol of the Canadian skies but is also internationally recognized, with flights to more than 180 destinations around the world. For the second consecutive year — and its 10th win of the Best Airline title since 2010 — Air Canada has proved that its iconic maple leaf branding isn't the only thing that stands out. The company can also hold its own when it comes to competing on the larger stage.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards winners are determined through a global passenger customer satisfaction survey which, for the 2026 awards, was conducted from September 2025 to August 2026. Travelers independently chose the airlines they consider the best, with more than 300 airlines and respondents from over 100 nationalities represented. In a press release from Air Canada (per Skiesmag.com), Air Canada's Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer, Mark Nasr, expressed his thanks, stating "We're incredibly proud to be named Best Airline in North America. On behalf of 40,000 Air Canada coworkers around the world, we thank our customers for their trust, loyalty, and for choosing to fly with us."

Not only did Air Canada come out on top over other North American airlines — including Delta Air Lines, the top-ranked airline in the United States — but it also took home other awards. These included Best Cabin Crew in Canada and Best Economy Class Onboard Catering in North America. As the only North American airline to break into the global top 20, Air Canada rose two places to No. 17 on the 2026 list of the World's Top 100 Airlines. Despite being dubbed North America's most stressful airport, Air Canada's main hub, Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), was also awarded the Best Business Class Airline Lounge Catering and Best Business Class Lounge in North America. Toronto Pearson has also taken the prize of having North America's Best Airport Staff.

Recognized by Skytrax as a four-star airline, Air Canada continues to enhance its passenger experience through improved seating, amenities, food, and in-flight entertainment. Air Canada's redesigned Airbus 321XLR cabin further demonstrates the airline's commitment to improving onboard service and comfort.

Air Canada also offers access to their stylish Signature Suites for passengers departing from Toronto Pearson, or the super-efficient Vancouver International Airport (VYR) – previously recognized as the number one airport in North America. The YYZ lounge holds a 4.5-star rating on Google from nearly 1,000 reviews. One reviewer praised the experience, stating: "Warm attentive staff, delicious cuisine à la carte or from a buffet, an extensive drink menu, and the calm elegant setting make this a wonderful way to start an international flight, definitely worth showing up early for."