Ethiopian Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, has once again reinforced its dominance in African aviation after being named Best Airline in Africa at the 2026 APEX Passenger Choice Awards, a recognition grounded entirely in verified passenger feedback.
The award reflects more than brand strength. It signals sustained performance in an industry where customer experience, operational reliability, and network efficiency define competitiveness. For Ethiopian Airlines, the recognition confirms that its service model continues to align with evolving passenger expectations across its expanding global network.
Unlike industry awards driven by panels or internal assessments, the APEX Passenger Choice Awards rely on independently verified traveller ratings collected at scale. More than one million flight reviews across over 600 airlines feed into the rankings, making the outcome a direct reflection of real passenger experience. Within that context, Ethiopian Airlines’ win underscores consistent delivery across multiple touchpoints, from booking and boarding to in-flight service and arrival.
Group Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew framed the recognition as a reflection of internal execution rather than external validation. He pointed to the airline’s workforce and operational cohesion as central to maintaining standards across a network that spans five continents.
APEX Group CEO Joe Leader placed the award within a broader industry context, noting that Ethiopian Airlines continues to stand out in passenger experience while maintaining operational discipline at scale. That combination has allowed the airline to compete not only within Africa but also across global aviation benchmarks.
Ethiopian Airlines’ position at the top of African aviation has not been accidental. Over the past decade, the airline has pursued an aggressive expansion strategy, building one of the continent’s most extensive networks with over 160 passenger and cargo destinations worldwide. Its fleet modernisation programme, anchored on aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350, has supported both efficiency and passenger comfort.
The airline’s multi-hub strategy has also played a defining role in its growth. Through partnerships and equity stakes, Ethiopian has extended its operational footprint into markets such as Togo, Malawi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, strengthening intra-African connectivity while feeding traffic into its Addis Ababa hub.
This approach aligns with its long-term roadmap under Vision 2035, which targets positioning Ethiopian Airlines among the world’s top 20 aviation groups. The strategy combines network expansion, fleet investment, and digital transformation, alongside a continued focus on service delivery.
The latest Ethiopian Airlines APEX award adds to a growing list of recognitions, including repeated wins at the Skytrax Awards and other industry benchmarks. More importantly, it reinforces the airline’s ability to maintain consistency in an increasingly competitive and cost-sensitive global aviation environment.
Looking ahead, Ethiopian Airlines is expected to deepen its investment in technology, fleet expansion, and service innovation. As competition intensifies both within Africa and globally, maintaining leadership will depend not only on scale but on the ability to sustain quality across every segment of the passenger journey.
The APEX recognition does more than affirm Ethiopian Airlines’ position. It highlights a model that has consistently delivered at scale in a market where many carriers struggle with reliability and network depth. As African aviation expands and competition intensifies, the benchmark is no longer simply growth, but sustained performance across the passenger experience. Ethiopian Airlines is not just meeting that benchmark. It is setting it.