RwandAir wins best airline staff in Africa at 2026 Skytrax awards

RwandAir has been named the Best Airline Staff in Africa at the 2026 World Airline Awards.

The award was announced at the World Airline Awards ceremony held at The Langham Hotel in London on Friday, September 18.

Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation behind the awards, said the Best Airline Staff Service awards recognise the combined quality of frontline airline staff service across both airport and onboard experiences.

RwandAir topped the African category ahead of Egyptair and Ethiopian Airlines, which ranked second and third, respectively. Kenya Airways and South African Airways completed the top five.

RwandAir Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Manzi Makolo said the recognition reflected the contribution of the airline’s employees to the passenger experience.

“We are incredibly proud to receive the award for the Best Airline Staff Service in Africa. This recognition belongs to our people, whose dedication, professionalism and genuine care for our customers bring RwandAir’s service promise to life every day, carrying the spirit of Rwanda with them on every journey,” she said.

Makolo added that the airline would continue investing in its employees as it expands its operations.

“As we continue to grow and strengthen our position as Africa’s gateway to the world, we remain committed to investing in our people and ensuring that every passenger experiences the warmth, care and professionalism that define RwandAir,” she said.

RwandAir also celebrated the recognition in a post on X, thanking passengers for choosing the airline and its staff for their “warmth, professionalism, and dedication” across flights, ground operations and other customer experiences.

In the 2025 Skytrax awards, RwandAir ranked second in Africa for airline staff, behind Egyptair.

Beyond the staff-service award, RwandAir was ranked fifth among Africa’s best airlines in the 2026 World Airline Awards, behind Ethiopian Airlines, Egyptair, Air Mauritius and Royal Air Maroc.

It also ranked second in the Best Regional Airlines in Africa category, behind Royal Air Maroc, and ninth globally among regional airlines.

The awards were based on Skytrax’s global passenger satisfaction survey, which ran from September 2025 to August 2026. More than 100 customer nationalities participated, while more than 300 airlines were featured in the survey results.

Skytrax said survey entries were screened to identify duplicate, suspect and ineligible submissions. The survey was conducted in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The overall World’s Best Airline award went to Singapore Airlines, which reclaimed the top position for the sixth time in the history of the awards. Qatar Airways was second, followed by Cathay Pacific Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways and Turkish Airlines.

In Africa, Ethiopian Airlines retained the Best Airline in Africa title, while FlySafair was named the continent’s Best Low-Cost Airline.