2026 Airline Rankings: The World’s Best Airlines Revealed
5 May 14:11
Delta Air Lines of the United States has topped the ranking of the world’s most valuable airline brands for the eighth consecutive year, according to Brand Finance’s annual study. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Interfax-Ukraine.
The brand’s value jumped 25% over the past year, reaching $18.605 billion.
United Airlines retained second place (up 7%, to $13.08 billion). Emirates rose from fourth place last year to third (up 27%, to $10.64 billion), pushing American Airlines down a spot (down 27%, to $8.55 billion). Southwest Airlines (up 5% to $6.66 billion) and British Airways (up 33% to $6.08 billion) remained in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Qatar Airways took seventh place (up 34.5% to $5.185 billion), pushing China Southern down to eighth (up 7% to $4.39 billion). Air Canada remains in ninth place (28%, up to $4.15 billion). Rounding out the top ten is Lufthansa (15%, up to $3.56 billion), which was in 12th place a year earlier.
Russia’s Aeroflot moved up to 47th place from 49th in 2025.
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The Vietjet brand saw the most significant increase in value, more than doubling—by 117%—to $906 million. The Vietnamese airline ranks 37th, whereas last year it did not make the top 50.
“Vietjet’s growth is largely driven by strategic international expansion into the markets of Australia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Russia, high passenger demand, and a load factor reaching 86%, as well as the diversification of ancillary revenue (non-fare revenue – IF-U), which currently accounts for 41% of the total,” the report states.
Analysts also noted the airline’s young fleet and cost discipline as factors contributing to its rapid rise.
The combined value of the top 50 airline brands increased by 11% last year to $147 billion, signaling a sustained recovery in the global aviation industry. This growth reflects both the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and strategic investments in improving operations, expanding networks, and providing premium services, the report states.
Eleven airlines from China made it into the top 50, just as they did last year (accounting for 11.7% of the total value of airline brands). The number of U.S. carriers also remained unchanged—seven (35.3%).
The most valuable brand among the world’s 25 largest airports in 2026 was Paris Charles de Gaulle (36%, up to $1 billion), which ranked third last year. As a result, London Heathrow moved up to second place in the ranking (-2%, to $972 million), and Singapore Changi to third (16%, to $889 million).
Amsterdam’s Schiphol rose to fourth place from seventh, while its brand value showed the strongest growth—up 39% to $540 million. As a result, South Korea’s Incheon (down 0.4% to $498 million), as well as Frankfurt (down 20% to $472 million) and Zurich (down 14% to $449 million), each dropped one position. Shanghai’s airport moved up to eighth place (17.5%, to $422 million), pushing Tokyo’s Haneda Airport down to ninth (16%, to $419 million).
Rounding out this year’s top ten is Madrid-Barajas (24%, up to $338 million), which rose from twelfth place. As a result, Tokyo’s Narita Airport dropped out of the top ten.
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