Ethiopian Airlines Crowned Africa’s Leading Airline Brand 2026
Ethiopian Airlines has once again been named Africa's Leading Airline Brand, taking home the title at the 2026 World Travel Awards. The announcement was confirmed on the official World Travel Awards results page for the category, cementing the carrier's status as one of the continent's most decorated airline brands.
The win extends a long run of recognition for the Addis Ababa-based carrier. According to the World Travel Awards’ official record of past winners, Ethiopian Airlines has now claimed the Africa’s Leading Airline Brand title in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, and now 2026 with Kenya Airways taking the honor in the other recent years. The 2026 victory came after Ethiopian Airlines was shortlisted against a strong field of nominees, including Air Algérie, EgyptAir, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, TAAG Angola Airlines, and Tunisair.
The award was presented as part of the Africa Gala Ceremony 2026, held in Zanzibar, Tanzania on 28 August 2026, one of a series of regional galas that feed into the World Travel Awards’ global “Oscars of the travel industry” program.
Part of a Broader Award Season
The World Travel Awards recognition adds to a string of accolades Ethiopian Airlines has collected throughout 2026. Earlier in the year, the carrier was named Best Airline in Africa at the APEX Passenger Choice Awards, an honor announced on 4 May in Addis Ababa and based on more than one million verified passenger ratings covering over 600 airlines worldwide. The airline was also honored as a Four Star Global Airline by APEX and picked up multiple titles at the 2026 PAX Readership Awards, reflecting continued investment in its fleet, cabin products, and inflight connectivity.
Industry observers have described the run of recognitions as a significant milestone for both the carrier and Africa’s wider aviation sector, with the World Travel Awards brand win reinforcing Ethiopian’s reputation among business travelers, tourists, and the African diaspora alike.
What the Award Represents
The World Travel Awards’ “Leading Airline Brand” category evaluates the strength, consistency, and global recognition of an airline’s brand identity distinct from operational or service-focused categories. Ethiopian Airlines, which operates flights to more than 160 destinations across five continents using a modern fleet that includes Boeing 787s and 777s alongside Airbus A350s, has built its brand around its role as a bridge between Africa and the rest of the world.
With the 2026 win, Ethiopian Airlines heads into the next stage of its long-term Vision 2035 strategy which aims to place the airline among the world’s top 20 aviation groups carrying fresh momentum and renewed recognition as one of Africa’s most trusted airline brands.
TNAM
