Top 10 Cleanest Airlines 2026
STARLUX tops Skytrax’s 2026 ranking of the world’s cleanest airlines. See the full top 10, each airline’s 2025 rank and how passengers judged the cabins.
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Edited by Adinda Irawan
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TL;DR: STARLUX topped Skytrax's 2026 cleanest-airline ranking, ahead of Singapore Airlines and ANA; no US airline made the top 20. Notes the ranking is passenger-survey based, not inspection-based, and HEPA filtration is standard industry-wide.
Which airline is the cleanest in the world in 2026?
STARLUX Airlines is the world’s cleanest airline for 2026, ahead of Singapore Airlines and ANA, according to the Skytrax World Airline Awards held in London on September 18, 2026. The ranking comes from passengers rating cabin and toilet cleanliness in Skytrax’s September 2025 to August 2026 survey. EVA Air, the 2025 winner, is now sixth.
Passengers rate the seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels and washrooms. All ten airlines in the 2026 top 10 are Asian or Middle Eastern carriers, and none of the top 20 is a US airline.
Updated after the Skytrax World Airline Awards on September 18, 2026.
The 10 cleanest airlines in 2026
1. STARLUX Airlines (Taiwan)
Rank: 1st in 2026, 7th in 2025
STARLUX, flying since January 2020, is Skytrax’s World’s Cleanest Airline 2026 and Cleanest Airline in Asia 2026, the biggest climb in the top 10. It flies a young all-Airbus fleet of A321neo, A330-900 and A350-900 aircraft and took delivery of its first of 18 A350-1000s on January 6, 2026. In May 2026 it kept its Skytrax 5-Star rating for a second year. Its US destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix.
Rank: 2nd in 2026, 5th in 2025
Singapore Airlines climbed three places, the second-biggest rise in the top 10. At the same 2026 awards, Skytrax named it the World’s Best Airline.
Rank: 3rd in 2026, 2nd in 2025
ANA was Skytrax’s World’s Cleanest Airline in 2023, and its award history lists Skytrax cabin-cleanliness wins in 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. It has held the Skytrax 5-Star rating for 13 consecutive years.
4. Hainan Airlines (China)
Rank: 4th in 2026, 6th in 2025
Skytrax named Hainan Airlines the Cleanest Airline in China in both 2025 and 2026. In the global ranking it climbed two places.
Rank: 5th in 2026, 3rd in 2025
Cathay Pacific won World’s Cleanest Airline at the 2024 Skytrax awards and has dropped two places in each year since.
Rank: 6th in 2026, 1st in 2025
EVA Air was Skytrax’s World’s Cleanest Airline 2025 and Cleanest Airline in Asia 2025. Its drop of five places is the biggest fall in the top 10. In May 2026 it kept its Skytrax 5-Star rating for the 11th straight year.
Rank: 7th in 2026, 4th in 2025
Skytrax named Qatar Airways the Cleanest Airline in the Middle East in both 2025 and 2026. It is the only Middle Eastern airline in the 2026 top 10.
Rank: 8th in 2026, 8th in 2025
Japan Airlines is the only top-10 airline whose rank did not change. With ANA, it is one of two Japanese airlines in the top 10.
9. China Airlines
Rank: 9th in 2026, 11th in 2025
China Airlines climbed two places and is the only new name in the top 10. It replaced China Southern, which fell from 10th to 12th.
Rank: 10th in 2026, 9th in 2025
Korean Air slipped one place but stayed in the top 10. It is one of nine airlines in the 2026 top 10 that were also in the 2025 top 10.
Ranks 11 to 20 in 2026
Skytrax publishes a top 20. Places 11 to 20 in 2026:
- 11. Malaysia Airlines
- 12. China Southern
- 13. SWISS
- 14. Hong Kong Airlines
- 15. Qantas
- 16. Emirates
- 17. Air New Zealand
- 18. Lufthansa
- 19. Etihad
- 20. Saudia
Emirates was outside the 2025 top 20 and is 16th in 2026.
2025 vs 2026: who moved
Nine of the 2026 top 10 were also in the 2025 top 10. China Airlines replaced China Southern.
| Airline | 2026 rank | 2025 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| STARLUX Airlines | 1 | 7 | Up 6 |
| Singapore Airlines | 2 | 5 | Up 3 |
| ANA | 3 | 2 | Down 1 |
| Hainan Airlines | 4 | 6 | Up 2 |
| Cathay Pacific | 5 | 3 | Down 2 |
| EVA Air | 6 | 1 | Down 5 |
| Qatar Airways | 7 | 4 | Down 3 |
| Japan Airlines | 8 | 8 | No change |
| China Airlines | 9 | 11 | Up 2 |
| Korean Air | 10 | 9 | Down 1 |
| China Southern | 12 | 10 | Down 2 |
| Emirates | 16 | Outside top 20 | Into the top 20 |
Recent World’s Cleanest Airline winners: ANA in 2023, Cathay Pacific in 2024, EVA Air in 2025 and STARLUX in 2026. The title has gone to a different Asian airline in each of the last four years.
Cleanest airline in each region, including North America
No US airline is in Skytrax’s 2026 top 20. In North America, Skytrax named Alaska Airlines the cleanest airline for 2026. Delta held that title in 2025.
| Region | Cleanest airline 2026 | Cleanest airline 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| North America | Alaska Airlines | Delta Air Lines |
| Europe | SWISS | Finnair |
| Asia | STARLUX Airlines | EVA Air |
| Middle East | Qatar Airways | Qatar Airways |
| Australia and Pacific | Qantas | Qantas |
| India and South Asia | IndiGo | IndiGo |
| China | Hainan Airlines | Hainan Airlines |
| Africa | South African Airways | Airlink |
| South America | LATAM | LATAM |
| Central Asia and CIS | Azerbaijan Airlines | Azerbaijan Airlines |
How Skytrax decides the cleanest airline
The ranking comes from one source: Skytrax’s online passenger survey for the World Airline Awards. It does not use regulator inspection reports or onboard observation.
- The survey ran from September 2025 to August 2026, covered more than 300 airlines and drew passengers of more than 100 nationalities.
- Passengers rate their flights from 1 to 5. The onboard items include cabin cleanliness and toilet cleanliness.
- Skytrax says the cleanliness and presentation of seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels and washrooms all count toward the result.
- Results are weighted by passenger numbers, so airlines of different sizes can be compared.
- Airlines pay no fee and need no membership to be included. Skytrax pays all costs and takes no sponsorship.
The result shows how clean passengers found the cabin. It is not an inspection or a lab test. It also says nothing about safety: for that, see the Laters.com guide to the safest airlines.
What a clean cabin means on board
In the Skytrax survey, passengers judge what they can see and touch: the seat area, the tray table, the carpet, the cabin panels and the washrooms.
Cabin air is a separate matter. According to Airbus, cabin air on its aircraft is exchanged with outside air about every 2 to 3 minutes. Between 40% and 60% of the air supply is recirculated, and that share passes through HEPA filters that are more than 99.9% efficient at 0.3 micrometers.
HEPA filters are standard on all Airbus aircraft built since 1994, including the A220, A320, A330, A350 and A380, so filtered air is not unique to the airlines on this list.
Tips for a cleaner flight
- Wipe the tray table, armrests and seatbelt buckle with a sanitizing wipe when you sit down.
- Carry hand sanitizer for use during the flight.
- If you are unsure about the water on board, choose sealed bottled water. On US aircraft, drinking water falls under the EPA’s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, in effect since October 19, 2011, which requires routine disinfection, flushing and coliform sampling.
- Check where an airline sits in the latest Skytrax ranking before you book. The same names tend to recur: nine of the 2026 top 10 were also in the 2025 top 10.
- Some airlines publish their cleaning procedures online. Read them before you book.
Book with Laters.com and pay later
Eight of the 2026 top 10 have a Laters.com airline page: Singapore Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, China Airlines and Korean Air. STARLUX and EVA Air are both from Taiwan; you can compare flights to Taipei.
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Each airline page also shows its Laters.com Airline Quality Score, an editorial rating out of 10 explained on How we score. It is not a cleanliness measure.
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Cleanest airlines: questions answered
Which airline is the cleanest in the world?
STARLUX Airlines. It is Skytrax’s World’s Cleanest Airline 2026, announced at the World Airline Awards in London on September 18, 2026. Singapore Airlines is second and ANA is third.
Is any US airline among the cleanest airlines?
No. None of the 2026 top 20 is a US airline. Alaska Airlines is Skytrax’s Cleanest Airline in North America for 2026, and Delta held that title in 2025.
Which airline was the cleanest in 2025?
EVA Air. It was Skytrax’s World’s Cleanest Airline 2025, ahead of ANA and Cathay Pacific. In 2026 it is sixth.
How does Skytrax rank cabin cleanliness?
Through an online passenger survey. From September 2025 to August 2026, passengers rated airlines from 1 to 5 on items including cabin cleanliness and toilet cleanliness. The survey covered more than 300 airlines, and results are weighted by passenger numbers.
Is the ranking based on hygiene inspections?
No. It reflects how clean passengers found the cabin. Skytrax does not use regulator inspection reports or onboard observation for it.
Which airlines are cleanest for long-haul flights?
The 2026 top 10 all fly long-haul networks: STARLUX, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Hainan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, China Airlines and Korean Air.
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