Airlines are upgrading their in-flight WiFi offerings. eastwest photo/Getty Images
Skytrax’s World Airline Awards introduced a new award in 2026: World’s Best Onboard WiFi.
Qatar Airways won first place, followed by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
Seven out of the top 10 airlines are partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Move aside priority boarding and extra legroom — airlines are investing in high-speed in-flight WiFi as a key amenity to attract customers.
This year, Skytrax’s World Airline Awards added a World’s Best Onboard WiFi category “to reflect the importance to today’s customer experience of fast and free onboard connectivity,” Skytrax wrote in a press release.
The ranking was determined by surveying passengers from over 100 nationalities between September 2025 and August 2026 in the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey.
One WiFi provider popped up again and again in Skytrax’s ranking of winning airlines: Starlink.
Over 40 carriers worldwide have partnered with Starlink, which provides streaming-quality WiFi on flights via its network of over 11,000 satellites.
Here are the top 10 airlines with the best onboard WiFi, ranked by passengers.
10. Emirates
A Boeing 777-300ER aircraft operated by Emirates, registration A6-ENM, takes off from Warsaw Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland, on May 3, 2026. The airplane is operating flight EK180 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Emirates was one of the first airlines to offer Starlink WiFi on its A380 aircraft, and plans to add Starlink to its fleet by mid-2027.
9. EVA Air
This picture taken in Tangerang on February 15, 2012 shows an Eva air airplane is flying over the Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang. Eva air is the second largest Taiwanese airline founded in 1989. AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY (Photo credit should read ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images) ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images
EVA Air’s onboard WiFi service is provided by Panasonic Avionics Corporation.
8. Virgin Atlantic
The Virgin logo sits on the tail-fins of passenger aircraft, operated by Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, grounded on the tarmac at Manchester Airport, operated by Manchester Airport Plc, in Manchester, U.K., on Monday, June 1, 2020. More than 200 U.K. travel and hospitality executives, including the head of Londons iconic Ritz hotel, joined a chorus of airlines and airports calling for the government to introduce air bridges to boost tourism and scrap contentious plans to quarantine visitors. Photographer: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg/Getty Images
As the first UK airline to partner with Starlink, Virgin Atlantic began offering flights equipped with streaming-quality WiFi in May.
7. Singapore Airlines
An Airbus A350-900 operated by Singapore Airlines. Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
Singapore Airlines will begin rolling out Starlink WiFi on its Airbus A350 and Airbus A380 planes in 2027.
6. Hawaiian Airlines
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 27: A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 departs Los Angeles International Airport en route to Honolulu on January 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Hawaiian Airlines became the first major US carrier to offer Starlink in February 2024 before merging with Alaska Airlines that September.
5. JetBlue Airways
DURHAM, NC – AUGUST 29: A digital screen on the back of a seat on a JetBlue Airbus A320 plane, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) on August 9, 2026 in Morrisville, North Carolina. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images) Al Drago/Getty Images
Amazon Leo, which operates around 400 low-orbit satellites, will be available on JetBlue flights starting in 2027.
4. Alaska Airlines
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 18: An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900 takes off from Los Angeles International Airport en route to San Francisco on September 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Alaska Airlines announced its deal with Starlink in August 2025 after merging with Hawaiian Airlines, and is rolling out Starlink WiFi across its fleet.
3. United Airlines
ARLINGTON, VA – AUGUST 26: A United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane lands at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) using the River Visual approach to Runway 19 on August 5, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images) Al Drago/Getty Images
As of September, United offers Starlink on 560 aircraft, and plans to add it to its entire fleet.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 18: A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 airplane approaches Los Angeles International Airport for a landing on a flight from Las Vegas on September 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Amazon Leo will be available on Delta Air Lines flights starting in 2028.
Delta and Musk have been at odds over Delta’s decision not to choose Starlink, with Musk criticizing the airline and its CEO, Ed Bastian, in posts on X. Bastian told CNBC on Friday that he pays little heed to the feud.
“I’m a big fan of Starlink,” Bastian said. “I’m a fan of what Elon does. I drive a Tesla. OK? So there’s nothing. All this nonsense about being personal is not true at all.”
1. Qatar Airways
A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, registration A7-BCG, approaches Larnaca International Airport for landing in Larnaca, Cyprus, on May 18, 2026. (Photo by Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Qatar Airways won Skytrax’s inaugural World’s Best Onboard WiFi award.
All of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s feature Starlink. The airline is now expanding the service to its Boeing 787 fleet.
