SriLankan Airlines has recently received multiple recognitions in regional and international aviation rankings, including several awards for ‘Leading/Best Airline in South Asia’ within specific categories. However, these distinctions have been widely interpreted on social media as indicating that SriLankan Airlines was selected as the overall best airline in South Asia. Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka reviewed the matter to clarify the accuracy of these claims.
Social Media Posts
A video shared across several platforms alleged that SriLankan Airlines had been officially voted the ‘Best Airline in South Asia’, prompting significant public discussion and celebration online. The following report examines whether this claim corresponds with the actual award results and industry assessments.
The narration in the circulating video further claims that SriLankan Airlines, previously described as a loss-making national carrier, has now risen to become the best airline in South Asia. It also suggests that the responsibility for the airline’s past performance lies not with the institution but with those who governed the country.
In light of these assertions, Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka examined whether SriLankan Airlines has in fact been recognized as the overall best airline in South Asia, and to what extent such claims are accurate.
Explainer :
Our review began by checking for recent credible reports stating that SriLankan Airlines had been adjudged the best airline in South Asia.
APEX Awards
SriLankan Airlines had recently published an article highlighting its achievement at the APEX Awards, noting that the airline secured the award for Best Food and Beverage in Central/South Asia for 2026. The announcement further noted that SriLankan retained its Four-Star Major Airline status, and it was stated that the evaluation covers more than 600 airlines globally. Category awards are determined on criteria such as seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverages, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.
While the award represents a noteworthy recognition by an international airline rating body, it does not indicate that SriLankan Airlines was selected as the best airline in South Asia overall.
In addition, airlines such as Air India and IndiGo were recognized under separate categories, while Air Astana of Kazakhstan was evaluated as the best airline overall at the APEX Awards for 2026 and it could be seen thus.
We then reviewed other accolades received by SriLankan Airlines under the current administration as well as previous governments.
ITCTA Regional Awards
In July 2025, SriLankan Airlines was named “Best Airline for South Asia” at the International Travel and Tourism Conference and Awards (ITCTA) held in New Delhi, India. Media reports stated that the award recognized Sri Lankan hospitality and the airline’s ability to foster positive engagement with travelers across the region. The selection was made by a panel of judges and jurors. The particular news had been reported by the media thus, thus and thus.
SATA’s Consecutive Regional Accolades
SriLankan Airlines has also received repeated recognition at the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA), one of the region’s most prominent tourism and hospitality award ceremonies. The airline secured regional awards in 2023, 2024 and 2025. SATA is endorsed by more than 18 tourism bodies across South Asia, and winners are determined through voting by aviation professionals and passengers, reflecting both service quality and customer satisfaction.
SriLankan Airlines lists several of these acknowledgements on its official awards page, including accolades from SATA, ITCTA, PAX and APEX. However, these recognitions are based primarily on travel experience and passenger services and are not based on formal regulatory or safety evaluations. Nor do they assess all South Asian airlines against a uniform set of parameters such as financial strength, safety performance, on-time operations, fleet age or regulatory compliance.
Skytrax Ratings
We also reviewed the ratings assigned to SriLankan Airlines by Skytrax, a globally referenced airline benchmarking agency.
According to World Airline Awards listings and safety data from AirlineRatings.com, the world’s safest full-service airlines for 2025 were ranked thus and thus.
The safety records and quality of airline service form a critical foundation while evaluating airlines for perfect travel experiences.
Moreover, the world’s safest full-service airlines for 2025 were ranked based on a broad analysis including safety records, fleet age, accident history and pilot training standards. Out of 385 airlines monitored, these rankings form a widely used benchmark for international comparisons.
However, no South Asian airline, including SriLankan Airlines, appeared within these top categories. For further context, we examined additional ratings that identify leading South Asian airlines under different criteria.
Leading International Airlines in South Asia
Safety ratings are frequently used as a global comparison tool for the aviation sector as they incorporate serious incidents, audits and compliance metrics.
In this regard, SriLankan Airlines holds a 7/7 safety rating on AirlineRatings.com, a platform widely cited for assessing airline safety performance.
According to Skytrax’s regional rankings for South Asia in 2024, Vistara was identified as the best airline in the India/South Asia region, while SriLankan Airlines was placed fourth. These rankings are based predominantly on Skytrax’s annual passenger service assessments and related performance indicators. (Source: skytraxratings Avian Voice)
Skytrax later published its 2025 list of the best airlines by geographical region, where SriLankan Airlines was ranked third, with IndiGo in first place and Air India in second.
APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) is an international non-profit industry body that works with airlines and service suppliers to improve passenger experience standards. The association administers several major industry awards and maintains certification systems recognized across the aviation sector.
APEX’s official airline ratings, which include Four Star™, Five Star™ and World Class™ tiers, are derived from verified passenger feedback, data collected via TripIt, and other audited third-party datasets. Here, ratings assess factors such as seating, food and beverage, Wi-Fi, entertainment, connectivity, safety/wellbeing, sustainability and the experience on overall passenger journey.
APEX classifies airlines across four categories: Global Airlines, Major Airlines, Regional Airlines and Low-Cost Airlines. In its latest ratings for 2026, SriLankan Airlines was included in the Major Airlines category with a Four-Star rating. Air India, also from the South Asian region, was listed within the Four-Star Global Airline category. Under this classification, no South Asian airlines appeared in the Five-Star tier.
Cirium’s on-time performance rankings for 2025 also listed the most punctual airlines in the Asia–Pacific region, with IndiGo and Air India included among the top performers. Cirium’s data is widely referenced by aviation analysts and industry observers for its operational performance metrics. An article on that is available here.
| The Best Airline in South Asia | SriLankan Airlines’s Position | |
|---|---|---|
| ITCTA 2025 Regional Award (“Best Airline for South Asia”) | SriLankan Airlines (Jury based tourism award). | Not a global ranking, but a winner of a specific category only. |
| SATA “Leading International Airline – South Asia” | 2023–2025 Category Championship awarded to SriLankan Airlines (Visitors’ Choice) | Winner of that category for many years |
| Skytrax “Best Airline in India and South Asia”2024 | Vistara (tataworld) | Ranked 4th best in South Asia in 2024 |
SriLankan Airlines
Ms. Maria Sathasivam, Product Development Manager of SriLankan Airlines, stated that the APEX rankings are determined based on several criteria and that SriLankan Airlines has been placed in the fourth category for many years. She further noted that several other airlines operating within the region are also ranked under the same category.
She explained that APEX presents awards under multiple classifications and that, in addition to the award received by SriLankan Airlines in the food and beverage category in November last year, the airline has secured several other APEX recognitions in previous years as well.
The regional and international awards received by SriLankan Airlines over the past five years have been published on the airline’s official website here. These records indicate that SriLankan Airlines has been recognised on multiple occasions as a leading airline within the region across different categories.
Ms. Sathasivam also clarified that there is no officially recognised award in the aviation industry that designates a single airline as the “best airline in South Asia.” However, she emphasised that SriLankan Airlines remains a multi-award-winning carrier within the region. She further stated that these recognitions were received even before the current government assumed office, highlighting that SriLankan Airlines has consistently received APEX awards in several categories over the years, based on passenger experience and customer feedback.
Skytrax’s Best Airlines in Asia for 2025
According to Skytrax’s Best Airlines in Asia for 2025 rankings, Qatar Airways has secured the top position for the ninth time in its history. Singapore Airlines, regarded as one of Asia’s leading carriers, ranked second globally this year. While it did not claim the top global position, the airline received multiple accolades, including awards for World’s Best Cabin Crew, World’s Best First Class, and Asia’s Best Airline.
Furthermore, Cathay Pacific Airways also recorded a notable improvement in its ranking, moving up from fifth place last year to third place globally in 2025. As a result, Cathay Pacific was ranked as Asia’s second-best airline in this year’s listings.
Meanwhile, AirAsia continued its long-standing dominance in the low-cost carrier category by winning the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline award for the 16th consecutive year. The airline was ranked 28th on the global list, placing ahead of several national carriers, including Thai Airways, which ranked 29th, and Vietnam Airlines, which ranked 62nd. Reports regarding this can be found here and here.
Conclusion
Accordingly, it is evident that SriLankan Airlines has received multiple recognitions as a Best or Leading Airline in South Asia from various regional and international organisations over the years, and that these accolades were not limited to the period under the current government.
However, the claim that SriLankan Airlines has secured an overall Best Airline in South Asia title is misleading. This is because no officially recognised ranking exists within the aviation industry that designates a single airline as the overall best in South Asia. Similar to other airlines operating in the region, SriLankan Airlines has received category-based awards from regional and global organisations for specific aspects of service.
Therefore, the information circulating in this regard is incomplete and does not reflect a technical or comprehensive industry ranking.
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Title:Is SriLankan Airlines the overall best airline in South Asia?
Fact Check By: Pavithra SandamaliResult: Insight
