Emirates Airlines received two prestigious awards from APEX at the APEX/IFSA exhibition in Long Beach, California, yesterday. The airline was honored with the title of Best Inflight Entertainment for 2026 for its ice entertainment system and also named World Class Airline of 2026 in recognition of its exceptional products and services.
Among over 600 airlines worldwide, Emirates secured the award for Best Inflight Entertainment based on feedback from more than one million verified passengers.
The ice system boasts the largest collection of inflight entertainment, providing passengers with access to over 6,500 channels of diverse content. Travelers can choose from 2,000 movies, 650 TV series, and more than 4,000 hours of music, podcasts, and audiobooks available in 40 languages. It features exclusive content from major platforms such as HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Food Network, CBeebies, Discovery+, BBC, Bloomberg Originals, Shahid, BBC Earth, Animal Planet, HGTV, Nickelodeon, and Spotify.
Additionally, the system includes five live television channels covering sports events, breaking news, flight schedules, and provides a view of the aircraft’s journey from 40,000 feet via external cameras.
Innovative Features
Emirates is also in the process of installing the new Thales AVANT Up system on its fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft. With an investment exceeding $350 million, this new system offers cutting-edge inflight entertainment features, including Optiq 4K QLED HDR screens, a content capacity three times greater than before, enhanced live TV options, user-friendly interfaces, and improved connectivity for passengers.
For the sixth consecutive year, Emirates has received the World Class Airline award, which was introduced in 2021, due to its outstanding products and services that are highly regarded by travelers globally.
High Standards
The airline was evaluated based on stringent criteria, including safety and comfort, sustainability, service quality, guest experience, food and beverage offerings, brand integrity, hospitality, personalization, comfort, connectivity, and more. This award represents one of the highest forms of recognition, thoroughly assessed by industry experts aboard actual flights during real operating times.
This accolade serves as further proof of Emirates’ commitment to delivering a consistently excellent travel experience to its customers. It adds to a series of prestigious awards recently won by the airline, including the title of Best Long-Haul Airline at the Telegraph Travel Awards 2025, which was determined by the votes of over 20,000 readers, reflecting appreciation for its world-class products, exceptional services, and unmatched travel experiences.
Emirates continues to establish itself as the top choice for travelers globally, leading the YouGov list of the top 10 most recommended global brands for 2025, standing as the only airline on this list.