Flying High: Malaysia Airlines Named Best Airline Staff in Asia at 2026 Skytrax Awards

Malaysia Airlines has been named Best Airline Staff in Asia at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with its cabin crew earning a place among the top three in the World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew category, rising five places from eighth in 2025. The airline also climbed six places to 21st in the World’s Best Airline category, marking further progress in its transformation, supported by continued investment across its people, product, fleet, network, and customer offerings.

More categories, more recognition

Malaysia Airlines also achieved strong results across several other categories at this year’s awards. The airline climbed from sixth to second in the World’s Best Airport Services category and made its debut at 18th in World’s Best Business Class Airlines.

It also advanced four places to 12th in World’s Best Economy Class Airlines, up from 16th in 2025, and moved up to 11th in World’s Cleanest Airline, from 12th previously. The airline also retained its place among the Top 10 Best Airlines in Asia, ranking 10th this year.

It all comes back to Malaysian hospitality

Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, “This recognition is a reflection of the collective efforts of our people across the airport, onboard and behind the scenes, who come together every day to deliver Malaysian Hospitality throughout the customer journey. Reaching this milestone after years of consistently climbing the global rankings is a significant achievement for our national carrier and a direct reward for our team’s relentless effort. It is this spirit of warm, thoughtful, and consistent service that sets the Malaysia Airlines experience apart.”

Making the journey more comfortable

Over the past two years, the airline has continued to elevate the customer experience, with a focus on cabin comfort, in-flight dining and cabin crew service delivery. This included expanded hospitality training and capability-building for frontline teams, strengthened service standards and clearer in-flight and airport communications, as well as more than 20 enhancements across key customer touchpoints.

From little touches to bigger improvements

Amongst them were refreshed cabin crew grooming standards, personalised Pilot Farewell Greetings and thoughtful touches in Business Class and Business Suite, such as pyjamas and enhanced amenities designed to provide greater comfort throughout the journey, alongside family-focused initiatives such as children’s sticker giveaways and dedicated World Children’s Day celebrations onboard.

The airline has also continued to evolve its in-flight dining experience through monthly menu rotations and more than 30 new menu offerings introduced over the past year, including favourites such as Vegetarian Satay and Cendol Ice Cream.

Beyond these enhancements, Malaysia Airlines is continuing to develop its broader product and onboard proposition while expanding its network to provide customers with greater choice and connectivity.

New aircraft, more routes and more choice

Fleet renewal remains an important part of this, with 29 new aircraft received to date and plans to build a fleet of 117 modern aircraft by 2035, adding capacity to support network growth. This is complemented by continued focus on operational performance, with on-time performance averaging 91.38% year-to-date, consistently above target.

These developments form part of MAG’s Long-Term Business Plan 3.0 (LTBP3.0), which sets out the ambition for Malaysia Airlines to rank among the Top 10 Global Airlines by 2030. The plan brings together the airline’s continued investment in its products, fleet, network, operations and customer experience as it builds towards its next phase of growth.

Behind it all is the team

Underpinning this is the wider MAG workforce, whose expertise, professionalism and commitment help uphold the standards across the operation. It is this collective contribution that supports the delivery of Malaysian Hospitality consistently across the customer journey and continues to shape the experience associated with the national carrier.

Looking ahead, Malaysia Airlines will build on these foundations as it continues to connect Malaysia with more destinations and customers around the world. As the national carrier, it has a role beyond connecting people and places — representing Malaysia on the global stage and carrying the nation’s pride wherever it flies.

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