MONTREAL — Air Canada has once again been recognized as a leading global carrier, receiving a Five Star Global Airline Award for the sixth consecutive year at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) 2026 Awards.
In addition to the Five Star recognition, Air Canada’s onboard Wi-Fi sponsored by Bell was named Best Inflight Connectivity. The service, complimentary for Aeroplan Members, was highlighted by APEX voters as one of the airline’s top inflight offerings.
The awards were presented on Sept. 11 and are based on votes from over one million customers.
Speaking for Air Canada’s 40,000 global employees, Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, thanked APEX for recognizing the airline’s status as a leading global carrier.
“We remain committed to delivering the best possible experience every time a customer uses our website or digital app, or are seated onboard our aircraft,” he said. “I am also pleased to see our investments to become an industry leader in inflight connectivity recognized with an award for Best Inflight Connectivity, which is complimentary for our Aeroplan Members.”
Rousseau noted that more exciting developments are “coming very soon,” ones that Air Canada customers will appreciate.
The APEX Five Star and Four Star Airline Awards are the only global passenger experience awards determined entirely by neutral, third-party feedback. Evaluations are conducted in partnership with TripIt from Concur, a leading travel-organizing app. For the 2026 edition, more than one million verified flights were rated by passengers covering over 600 airlines worldwide. Results are independently certified by a professional external auditing firm.
The 2026 APEX honour adds to a growing list of accolades for Air Canada this year. The airline has already been named Best Airline in North America for 2025 by Skytrax and earned a number of additional distinctions, including:
- World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining for the Toronto Signature Suite (Skytrax 2025, second consecutive year)
- Best Cabin Crew in Canada and North America (Skytrax 2025)
- Best Low-Cost Airline in North America for Rouge (Skytrax 2025)
- Most Family Friendly Airline in North America (Skytrax 2025)
- Best Premium Economy Class Onboard Catering in North America (Skytrax 2025)
- Best Business Class Onboard Catering in North America (Skytrax 2025)
- Best Business Class Lounge in North America (Skytrax 2025)
