[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] Korean Air has taken first place in the global airline service rankings for "Best Cabin Service."
According to the industry, the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), a global airline service evaluation body, recently announced the winners of the 2026 APEX Awards. APEX evaluates in-flight service quality each year based on passenger experience and selects top airlines after a comprehensive review of factors such as seat comfort, cabin service, meals and beverages, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.
In this year's global category results, Korean Air was named the top airline in the world for Best Cabin Service.
In the entertainment category, Emirates received the highest marks, while Qatar Airways topped meals and beverages, EVA Air led in seat comfort, and Delta Air Lines was rated best for in-flight Wi-Fi.
Korean Air's award is especially meaningful from the passenger's perspective.
On long-haul international flights, one of the key factors shaping passenger satisfaction is the quality of cabin service and crew response. Korean Air's recognition as a world-class carrier is seen as further proof of its competitiveness against foreign airlines.
Among U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines was the only one to make the list of global top airlines. Delta won the Best In-Flight Wi-Fi award in recognition of its free Wi-Fi service across more than 1,200 aircraft. It was also selected as an APEX Global Five-Star Airline for 2026.
In the North American rankings, Aeromexico drew attention by being named the Best Global Airline in North America. It was the first time a non-U.S. airline had taken the top spot in that category.
The evaluation was based on anonymous review data from users of the travel itinerary app TripIt. APEX explained, "The results were derived by analyzing passenger satisfaction ratings for about 600 airlines and more than 1 million flights worldwide."
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
