Emirates has been selected as the “World’s Best Airline” for the 8th consecutive year at the ULTRAs travel awards held in Dubai. The awards, determined by votes from Ultratravel’s global network of 1.2 million travellers worldwide, also recognised Emirates as the “Best Airline Offering Premium Economy Class”. During the event, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark was presented with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his contributions to global aviation.
Emirates was once again named “World’s Best Airline” thanks to its outstanding customer experience, global network spanning over 150 destinations, and its Airbus A380, A350, and Boeing 777 fleet offering unmatched comfort, reliability, and connectivity. Emirates stands out with its world-class inflight experience, including gourmet cuisine inspired by regional flavours, a choice of 6,500 channels on the award-winning ice inflight entertainment system, as well as luxury premium cabins featuring private suites, onboard lounges, showers and spas. Emirates’ innovation-driven approach spans a wide range of areas from airport services to luxury lounges, chauffeur-driven transfers, digital solutions, sustainability initiatives and world-class cabin crew training.
Emirates President Sir Tim Clark said in his statement: “We are honoured to be recognised as the ‘World’s Best Airline’ for the eighth time at the ULTRAs, one of the sector’s most prestigious programmes, and we thank all our passengers who voted for us. At Emirates, we work to ensure that every passenger ‘flies better’, and we continually invest in the Emirates flight experience to offer the very best. From expanding our global route network to our multi-billion-dollar cabin retrofit programme, from the new hospitality training for our cabin crew to the technological innovations that simplify the travel experience, we are raising our standards further every year.”
“Best Airline with the Best Premium Economy Class” Award
This award from Ultratravel reinforces the global recognition of Emirates’ newest cabin class, “Premium Economy”, which had previously received the “Best Premium Economy” award at the AirlineRatings.com Airline Excellence Awards. As the only airline in the region offering “Premium Economy”, Emirates provides its passengers with a dedicated airport check-in area, luxurious cream-coloured leather seats with up to 101 cm of seat pitch, calf and foot rests for enhanced comfort, quality dining and premium beverage options, and a calm, exclusive cabin experience supported by a 13.3-inch inflight entertainment screen.
“Lifetime Achievement Award” for Sir Tim Clark for His Service to Global Aviation
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, was honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by ULTRAs for his exceptional contributions to the aviation industry throughout his impressive career, which began in 1972, continued through his joining Emirates in 1985, and his appointment as President in 2003. Under his leadership, Emirates has grown from a modest operation into one of the world’s largest international airlines. His innovative vision, strong fleet strategy and expansion of the global network have played a significant role in transforming the industry. He was also recently recognised with the “Outstanding Achievement Award” by the Wings Club Foundation.
More Awards for Emirates in 2025
These latest three awards add to the impressive portfolio of accolades Emirates has collected in 2025. Earlier this year, Emirates won “Best International Airline”, “Best International First Class” and “Best International Airline Lounge” at the Forbes Travel Guide Endorsed Air Travel Awards 2025, as well as “Best Long-Haul Airline” at The Times and The Sunday Times Travel Awards 2025.
