WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / September 12, 2025 / Airlines and suppliers were celebrated for their meaningful advancements in passenger experience at the prestigious APEX/IFSA Awards Ceremony in Long Beach, California. Hosted by the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) and the IFSA (International Flight Services Association) during the APEX/IFSA Global EXPO, the ceremony is regarded as the industry’s premier awards event, recognizing innovation, dedication, and leadership that set new standards for excellence across the skies.
“What sets the APEX/IFSA Awards apart comes from how our awards program moves beyond recognition; it actively drives excellence across our entire industry,” APEX/IFSA Group CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. “Unlike other award platforms, these honors reflect both the voices of millions of global passengers and the rigorous assessments of independent experts. This powerful combination establishes the APEX/IFSA Awards as the most trusted and impactful distinction in aviation today, one that champions innovation, elevates service, and accelerates the pursuit of a world-class passenger experience.”
The APEX/IFSA Awards Ceremony honored global airlines across the following distinguished categories:
APEX CEO Lifetime Achievement Award:Dr. Leader presented United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby with the APEX CEO Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his visionary leadership and significant contributions to transforming the passenger experience and the global aviation industry. This award celebrates a career defined by remarkable achievements, commitment to excellence, and a lasting legacy that inspires the future of air travel. Read the full press release here.
2026 APEX WORLD CLASS™: Reserved for the very best in global aviation, the World Class Awards honors the top 10 airlines that have set the standard for excellence in today’s air travelers triple checked with by an intensive audit by Yates and Partners. The APEX World Class™ awards recognize top quality and mastery across dimensions that matters most to today’s travelers across the constructs of Safety & Well-Being, Sustainability, Service-Guest Experience, and F&B Execution. This year’s APEX World Class™ airlines are ANA,Emirates, Fiji Airways, Japan Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, SAUDIA, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines.Read the full press release here.
APEX Five Star™ and APEX Four Star™ Airline Awards: The APEX Five Star™ and Four Star™ Airline Awards stand as the industry most desired honor as it is entirely based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback through APEX’s partnership with TripIt®, the world’s leading travel-organizing app. Over one million verified flights have been rated across 600 airlines from around the world using a five-star scale. For 2026, the ratings criteria have increased, limiting the APEX Five Star™ to the top 40 airlines, and the APEX Four Star™ to honor the next 50 airlines, including the Top 10 Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) in the world. Together with the highest echelon of the top 10 APEX World Class™ airlines, these awards collectively recognize the Top 100 airlines in the world for passenger experience. Click here for the 2026 APEX Five Star™ and Four Star™ Airline Award recipients.
Crystal Cabin Award:APEX is proud to continue its partnership with the Crystal Cabin Award Association as the prestigious awards program officially opens submissions for 2026. Recognized globally as the leading honor for aircraft cabin innovation, the Crystal Cabin Award celebrates groundbreaking ideas that shape the future of the passenger experience, from design to technology and beyond. APEX looks forward to supporting this next chapter of aviation excellence. The application phase opens on 15 September. Submit your ideas here and save the date: 14 April for the Crystal Cabin Award ceremony on the first day of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany.
2026 APEX Best™ Airline Awards:These awards celebrate the airlines that deliver the very best in the passenger experience, as voted by passengers across more than 600 airlines worldwide via TripIt®. This year’s global winners showcase excellence across every touchpoint of the inflight experience: Korean Air for Best Cabin Service, Emirates for Best Entertainment, Qatar Airways for Best Food & Beverage (presented in conjunction with IFSA), EVA Air for Best Seat Comfort, and Delta Air Lines for Best Wi-Fi. Click here for more information on the winners.
2026 APEX/IFSA Awards: Honored by their industry peers, the APEX/IFSA Awards spotlight the most innovative and impactful achievements introduced over the past year. Each winner is recognized for pioneering advancements that set new benchmarks for the passenger experience across the following categories:
2026 APEX AWARD WINNERS:
- Air Canada – Innovation Award for Best Inflight Connectivity
- FlightPath3D – Innovation Award for Best Inflight Entertainment
2026 APEX/IFSA AWARD WINNER:
- ANA – Innovation Award for Best Cabin
2026 IFSA AWARD WINNERS:
- Fiji Airways – Best Inflight Food or Beverage
- Delta Air Lines – Best Onboard Amenity
The APEX/IFSA Awards Ceremony, which took place during APEX/IFSA EXPO, was co-sponsored Thales & West Entertainment.
For more information on the APEX Award Ceremony and photos of all the awards given out, please visit apex.aero and follow APEX on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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About the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)
As a global non-profit and one of the world’s largest international airline associations, APEX advances passenger experience with the backing of nearly every major airline and valued supplier over the past 42 years. In conjunction with both the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX serves the full spectrum of the end-to-end travel experience. APEX reinvests all its resources to serving its members, strengthening the worldwide airline industry, advancing thought-leadership, fostering business opportunities via events, developing global initiatives, setting key airline standards, and highlighting well-deserved recognition across our industry.
About the International Flight Services Association (IFSA)
The International Flight Services Association (IFSA) is a global professional association serving the needs and interests of airline and railway personnel, caterers and suppliers who provide onboard services on regularly scheduled travel routes. Under the umbrella of APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) serving every major airline in the world, IFSA is dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of the multi- billion dollar inflight and railway onboard service industry. For more information about IFSA, please visit ifsa.apex.aero, or follow IFSA on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Contact Information
Robin Applebaum
Director, Strategic Communications
rapplebaum@apex.aero
+1-917-627-6557
Kevin Mendoza
Manager, Strategic Communications
kmendoza@apex.aero
+1-212-297-2102
SOURCE: APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association)
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire