Emirates named Middle East's best airline at APEX Awards

Emirates has been named the best overall airline in the Middle East at the 2026 APEX Best in Airline Awards. The accolade was announced at a ceremony in Dublin on 11 June and is based on verified passenger feedback.

Passengers were surveyed across five areas: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and connectivity. Emirates scored highly across all five.

Connectivity: the Starlink rollout

In November 2025, Emirates announced a partnership with Starlink to bring high-speed, low-latency internet to every aircraft in its fleet, with completion expected by mid-2027. The service is complimentary. Thirty-three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and three Airbus A380s are already equipped. The airline says hundreds of thousands of passengers have already used the service for streaming, video calls and remote working inflight.

Seating updates across cabins

From October, Economy Class passengers will see new Safran Z400 seats with an adjustable eight-way headrest. Business Class is being updated with seating based on Safranʼs S Lounge design, already in use on the A350 fleet, with seats converting into lie-flat beds with dedicated mattresses, wireless charging, customisable mood lighting and multiple charging options.
First Class offers fully enclosed private suites with electronically controlled doors, personalised climate settings and a ʻzero gravityʼ sleep position.

Food and beverage

Economy passengers receive freshly prepared multi-course meals with a wide range of dietary options including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and low-sodium. Premium Economy meals are served on Royal Doulton china with linen tablecloths and include exclusive Chandon sparkling wine.

Business Class customers can enjoy chef-crafted dishes paired with Moët and Chandon champagne inflight. First Class offers à la carte dine-on-demand service with unlimited caviar. Emirates says it is the only airline in the world to serve Dom Pérignon in First Class across its entire global network.

Entertainment

Emiratesʼ ice entertainment system offers more than 6,500 channels, including nearly 3,000 movies, 3,000 music albums, over 600 television channels and more than 200 documentaries. Content partnerships include HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Discovery+, BBC, Bloomberg Originals, Shahid and Spotify.

Cabin crew

Emirates cabin crew represent more than 140 nationalities and speak over 70 languages. The airlineʼs hospitality training is built around four pillars: excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion, with principles drawn from Michelin-starred dining standards.