September 21, 2026 Team Contributor
Air Transat won the title of world’s best leisure airline for the 8th time. This marks a major victory for the Canadian aviation company in the global stage. Announced at the Skytrax 2026 World Airlines Awards Ceremony on 18th September 2026 in London, the Montreal-based carrier secured top honors as voted by millions of global travelers.
A legacy of leisure aviation excellence
Often considered as the ‘Oscars of aviation industry’, the World Airline Awards assess passenger satisfaction across all service and product touchpoints, both on the ground and onboard.
Air Transat’s victory in 2026 marks its eighth time claiming this prestigious global title, building on a decorated history of excellence.
Skytrax World Airline Awards 2026 – highlights
- Modern fleet and hospitality – Powered by 5,000 employees, the success of airlines is driven by an eco-efficient fleet that is composed of fuel-conscious aircraft combined with a personalized and elevated guest experience.
- Expansive routed network – Primarily operating out of major Canadian hubs at the Toronto Pearson Airport and the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Air Transat offers direct leisure connections across the Caribbean, Europe and Central America, East Coast of USA and North Africa.
- Rising global rank – Additional to winning its core category, Air Transat climbed to 509th place in the overall Skytrax’s World Top 100 Airlines, outranking major global carriers including Ryanair, Americal Airlines and Allegiant Air.
- Massive independent passenger participation – The ’25-’26 passenger survey includes 24.8 million eligible responses which represents more than 100 customer nationalities. They survey covered 300+ airlines across the world in eight different languages without charging entry fees and ensuring completely impartial results.
- Unmatched category dominance – Air Transat has officially captured the title of World’s Best Leisure Airline eight times, previously winning in the years 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025, alongside being recognized as the North America’s Best Leisure Airline in 2022.
Executive commentary
“Being named the World’s Best Leisure Airline for the eighth time is a tremendous source of pride for Air Transat and, above all, a well-deserved recognition of our teams…Every day, they put their expertise, care, and hospitality at the service of our travelers. This distinction reflects their exceptional commitment and their ability to create travel experiences that set us apart, both here and around the world.” – Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat.
Echoing this sentiment, the CEO of Skytrax, Edward Plaisted, remarked, “Winning the award as the World’s Best Leisure Airline is a great recognition from its customers and underlines the high levels of customer satisfaction and Air Transat’s ability to deliver a reliable and enjoyable experience tailored to leisure travelers.”
The historic win for Air Transat reinforces a dominant performance by Canadian carriers on the Skytrax World Airline Awards’ global stage this year. Complementing the leisure title, Air Canada was also named the ‘Best Airline in North America’ at this event, marking its 10th time claiming the top regional honor.
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