La Première private transfer. Photo: ©Air France Air France has been named the world’s best airline for First Class at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with the carrier’s new La Première cabin taking the top spot in the category.
The awards ceremony took place in London on September 18, where Air France collected several honors for its premium products and services. The airline was also named Best Airline in Western Europe for the sixth consecutive year.
La Première cabin. Photo: ©Air FranceThe World’s Best First Class Airline award marks the first time Air France has received the title. The recognition follows the launch of its redesigned La Première cabin in spring 2025.
The airline also received awards for World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge Dining and World’s Best First Class Airline Comfort Amenities.
La Première lounge. Photo: ©Air France
La Première lounge CDG. Photo: ©Air FranceAir France improved its position in the overall global ranking as well, moving from eighth place in 2025 to seventh in this year’s results.
La Première lounge CDC. Photo: ©Air FranceThe new La Première suite is available on selected Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Air France says the design took three years to develop and includes five windows, a feature introduced for the first time in the airline’s First Class cabin.
La Première cabin. Photo: ©Air FranceBenjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM and chairman of the Air France Board of Directors, said the project was designed around the goal of creating what the airline considers its highest level of travel experience.
He said the recognition was a source of pride for the teams involved in developing and operating La Première, adding that the cabin is now being offered to more destinations and on more aircraft.
To mark the Skytrax award, Air France has also released a documentary exploring the history and development of La Première.
WATCH VIDEO (SOURCE: AIR FRANCE / YOUTUBE)
Titled “Air France La Première: 70 Years of Excellence to Become the World’s Best First Class,” the nearly 35-minute film follows the experience from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport through to the La Première suite aboard a Boeing 777-300ER.
The documentary features La Première teams and cabin crew, as well as French chef Alain Ducasse, who created the dining menu for the La Première Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Isabelle d’Ornano, founder of French beauty brand Sisley, also appears in the film.
The production also draws on Air France’s archives, tracing the airline’s First Class history from the 1950s and the “Parisien Spécial” Super Constellation through the Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 eras.
According to Skytrax, the 2026 awards were based on a passenger survey covering more than 100 nationalities. The survey ran from September 2025 through August 2026 and included 24.8 million reviews.