by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:20 PM ET, Mon September 28, 2026
The last time I flew, I watched with great interest as the passenger in the seat next to me sat down and then proceeded to wipe down every surface around her with a Clorox bleach wipe. The tray table, the armrests, the video monitor on the seatback in front of her, no surface went unnoticed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as concerned as the next passenger about not getting sick while flying, given all the germs we encounter during a flight. But this woman’s attention to detail really opened my eyes. Clearly, I needed to up my game as a frequent traveler.
Thankfully, a new report from Skytrax has also made it easier for travelers to know which airlines may require excessive wipe-downs upon boarding and which do not.
The London-based aviation consultancy has just released its ranking of the World’s Cleanest Airlines for 2026. And topping the list of 20 outstanding commercial carriers is STARLUX Airlines.
But before American-based travelers obsessed with cleanliness flock to book their next flight with STARLUX, some pertinent facts are in order. STARLUX is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and serves only five gateways in the U.S.: Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Ontario, California.
The good news is that several other airlines are also recognized in the Skytrax ranking. The top 10 include:
- Singapore Airlines
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Hainan Airlines
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Eva Air
- Qatar Airways
- Japan Airlines
- China Airlines
- Korean Air
Unfortunately for U.S.-based travelers, no American airlines are among the world's leading carriers when it comes to cleanliness. U.S.-based airlines didn’t even make the top 20 on the Skytrax ranking.
The additional airlines rounding out the top 20, in case you're curious, include: Malaysia Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines, Qantas Airways, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, and Saudia.
However, the ranking also includes cleanliness awards by global geographic regions, announcing one winner per major region for Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East. And for this particular measure, Alaska Airlines ranked number one in cleanliness for North America.
A Seattle, Washington-based carrier, Alaska serves more than 140 destinations across North America, Central America, Asia, and the Pacific.
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