The 2025 World Airline Awards, often described as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, were announced in a grand ceremony at the Paris Air Show, with Qatar Airways reclaiming the crown as the World’s Best Airline for a record ninth time. Despite the growing presence of African carriers in global aviation, no Nigerian airline, including Air Peace—the country’s largest and fastest-growing operator—made it into the top 20 global rankings.
The awards ceremony, held at the historic Hall of Eight Columns at Le Bourget Airport, gathered over 500 aviation leaders, including chairmen, CEOs, and airline presidents. The event highlighted the finest standards in the industry, with uniformed crew from across the world proudly representing their airlines.
Qatar Airways dominated the rankings, securing the top spot as well as awards for the World’s Best Business Class and Best Airline Lounge. Singapore Airlines followed closely at No. 2, while Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and Japan’s ANA completed the top five. Other top-tier airlines included Turkish Airlines, Air France, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.
The absence of Nigerian airlines from the global list has sparked fresh debate about the country’s aviation standards, competitiveness, and international reputation. While Ethiopian Airlines once again won the title of Best Airline in Africa, Nigerian carriers were notably absent from recognition in both continental and global categories.
Speaking after the awards, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, emphasized the importance of consistency and customer experience:
“These results show that passengers value sustained quality over time. Airlines that make the top 20 continuously deliver reliability, service excellence, and innovation.”
Industry observers note that while Air Peace has expanded aggressively in recent years—launching international routes to London, Johannesburg, and other major hubs—it still faces challenges in areas such as fleet modernization, inflight services, and global brand recognition compared to its regional competitors.
Ethiopian Airlines, which secured Best Airline in Africa for the seventh consecutive year, continues to dominate the continent with its extensive network and service quality. South African carrier FlySafair also took home the award for Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa.
For Nigeria, the snub highlights the urgent need for investment, policy support, and strategic reforms to enable its airlines to compete on a global scale. Aviation experts argue that until Nigerian carriers can meet international benchmarks for safety, service, and customer experience, they will continue to struggle for visibility at global award platforms like Skytrax