Emirates Airline has garnered a collection of new accolades this month, including the title of “Best International Airline,” “Best First Class on an International Airline,” and “Best Airport Lounge for an International Airline.” These awards are part of the annual Forbes Travel Guide recognition of excellence in air travel, along with several esteemed honors from global institutions such as the World Travel Awards, The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards, and Condé Nast Reader Awards.
This marks the second consecutive year that Emirates has been named “Best International Airline” by 9,000 luxury travel experts and certified inspectors from Forbes Travel Guide, using their star rating evaluation system.
Forbes highlighted that Emirates’ success is attributed to its continuous commitment to enhancing all aspects of the travel experience. Recently, the airline introduced a luxurious area for check-in that resembles a first-class lounge, exclusively for first-class members and ‘Skywards Platinum’ members. Additionally, Emirates became the first airline globally to receive certification for supporting travelers with autism spectrum disorder, having trained over 30,000 crew members and ground staff to provide necessary assistance to these travelers.
In another achievement, Emirates was honored as the “Best Long-Haul Airline” at The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards 2025, as determined by over 900,000 readers’ votes.
The publications praised the service of Emirates’ crew and the level of luxury in their first-class suites, which include lavish bathrooms onboard. Furthermore, Emirates continued to expand its network this year by adding five new destinations, including Shenzhen in southern China and Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia.
Emirates also received a score of 87.86 in the “Best Airline” category at the Condé Nast Reader Awards and was recognized as the leading airline brand in the Middle East during the regional qualifiers for the World Travel Awards 2025.
Emirates stands as the largest operator of first-class cabins globally, offering 26,800 first-class seats per week, all designed as fully enclosed private suites. In the Forbes Travel Guide awards, the airline received the honor for “Best First Class on an International Airline” for its suite on the Boeing 777-300ER, which Forbes described as epitomizing luxury. Additionally, Emirates was awarded “Best Airport Lounge for an International Airline” for its first-class lounge in Dubai.
During the World Travel Awards 2025, Emirates secured several other honors for its first-class services, including being the leading airline in the Middle East for first-class travel and for its first-class airport lounge.
Earlier in 2025, Emirates won several notable awards, including Best Long-Haul Airline at the Telegraph Awards, the title of the most recommended global brand from YouGov, and multiple accolades in the Middle East’s Business Travel awards, including Best Airline in the World for the twelfth consecutive year, as well as awards for Best First Class, Best Premium Economy, and Best Airport Lounge in the Middle East.
Additionally, the Emirates Skywards program was recognized as the best global airline loyalty program in the 2025 Global Loyalty Awards, along with being awarded the leading rewards program in the Middle East at the World Travel Awards.