There has been an explosion in the number of airlines offering fast WiFi and in-seat charging for mobile devices. The temptation, therefore, is to shift away from inflight entertainment (IFE) systems and expect passengers to create their own fun. However, some airlines are resisting this momentum to keep providing leading IFE that ensures passengers have an enjoyable inflight experience.

One such airline is Cathay Pacific. The carrier has recently been recognized for its efforts with a first-place in the Skytrax award for The World’s Best In-Flight Entertainment 2025. Discover below more about the award and the systems and partnerships that have allowed Cathay Pacific to take the top spot.

Cathay Pacific Receives The Skytrax Award

The aviation industry group Skytrax has released results for its 2025 awards. Included in the host of categories is the Skytrax World’s Best Inflight Entertainment 2025 award, which Cathay Pacific has won. In achieving this accolade, it has beaten the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines, all of which are close behind.

The table below shows the full top-20 standings in Skytrax World’s Best Inflight Entertainment 2025 award:

Unsurprisingly, Cathay Pacific has also performed well in the other Skytrax awards. This includes winning the World’s Best Economy Class award and placing in the top three for the overall 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said: «  »Being voted among the top three best airlines in the world, up two places from last year, and the world’s best for Economy class and inflight entertainment again is extremely encouraging. These accolades underscore our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional service and enhancing the customer experience across every part of their journey. »

What IFE Does Cathay Pacific Offer?

Cathay Pacific’s inflight entertainment is delivered on a touchscreen Panasonic Avionics screen. Newer aircraft, including the carrier’s A321neo and select 777s, also have 4K HDR displays and Bluetooth audio. There is a focus on both Asian and Hollywood cinema and boxsets, alongside music.

A full HBO MAX rollout from January 2022 has further expanded the entertainment available onboard Cathay Pacific jets. It added over 200 hours of HBO MAX content within the first three months of this rollout, helping passengers catch up on their box sets. That meant a passenger would have to circumnavigate the globe 45 times onboard a Cathay Pacific aircraft before they ran out of shows. Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Customer Experience and Design, Vivian Lo, said, « To be the first in Asia to launch the HBO Max brand, not just onboard flights but anywhere is exceptional. It’s a great example of an airline and streaming service working together to bring an unprecedented entertainment experience to passengers, and we hope our customers find their next new binge-worthy show on Cathay Pacific. »

The host of children’s films and television available through the inflight entertainment systems also contributed to Skytrax recognizing Cathay Pacific in its World’s Most Family Friendly Airline 2025 rankings. Other airlines featured on this list include EVA Air, Lufthansa, and British Airways.

Cathay Pacific’s IFE Is Getting Upgraded

2025 is set to bring more improvements to Cathay Pacific’s IFE through the introduction of a new interface that allows passengers to personalize their environment, as reported by Apex. The carrier collaborated with Reaktor Aero to debut the new IFE system aboard the retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER within the Aria business class suites. Reaktor’s VP, Michael Holler, said that the system “is truly state-of-the-art, seamlessly incorporating the latest technology with a design that is elegant and intuitive to use.” Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific’s Head of Customer Experience – Connectivity & IFE Strategy, Guillaume Vivet, said that the system emerged from multiple rounds of customer interviews and testing.

The central concept is an interface that allows passengers to customize their cabin. One example is extensive seat controls so that passengers can easily find the most comfortable position and lighting for work, eating, using the IFE, or sleeping.

Cathay Pacific has also embedded features to enhance the overall experience. This includes incorporating the lavatory occupancy status into the system. The carrier also had plans to introduce a « My Journey » interface, so passengers can play around with flight paths and map layers. « My Journey » is developed in collaboration with FlightPath3D’s API toolkit and widgets. « My Journey » isn’t just entertainment, but will also allow passengers to set their preferred times for working, eating, watching movies, and sleeping.

What Does Skytrax Think Of Cathay Pacific’s Other Attributes?

Skytrax has named Cathay Pacific a « 5-Star Airline » after combining its ratings for the carrier’s airport, and onboard product, and staff service across all classes, reflecting that the industry group believes that the carrier is a strong performer overall. In long-haul aviation, business class is rated five stars, while first class, premium economy and economy classes all earn 4.5 stars. Meanwhile, both business class and economy class receive five star ratings for short-haul travel.

Within each class, Skytrax has a further breakdown, assigning stars to different characteristics. All of these characteristics have four stars or more across all classes. Examples of four-star attributes in economy class include the cabin temperature, washroom amenities, and WiFi service. Meanwhile, check-in and priority check-in staff and facilities receive four stars for Premium Economy. Finally, premium customers flying in first class will find four star quality in many aspects of the long-haul onboard product, including the provision of comfort items such as duvets.

Skytrax ratings are also useful to see the areas where Cathay Pacific excels by identifying the attributes that received five stars. In economy class, this includes the quality of meals, seat comfort, and, unsurprisingly, inflight entertainment. Jumping up to business class, Skytrax praises Cathay Pacific’s onboard staff. Speed, language skills, and attention to cabin safety all receive five stars. Finally, Skytrax is complimentary of Cathay Pacific’s first class lounge. It gives five stars to The Wing/The Pier’s washrooms and showers, choice of beverages, comfort, and access to power and WiFi.

Business Class: Another Reason To Fly Cathay Pacific

Skytrax has also recognized Cathay Pacific for its excellent business class. The carrier uses a reverse herringbone arrangement to look beyond glitzy momentum in the business-class industry to offer a product with subtle comfort. Each passenger has plenty of space and direct access to the aisle. The business-class suites are also noteworthy for their openness, rather than the claustrophobic privacy. The simple comfort is also present in the carrier’s customer lounges, where customers can enjoy a peaceful experience and delicate local cuisine. This includes specialty tea and dishes inspired by Hong Kong street food. The same sort of culinary options are available onboard.

Everything is rather muted onboard with minimalist bedding and amenities, all contained within eco-friendly packaging. Yet, there are some drawbacks to be aware of. Considering the cost of business-class and the desire for many onboard to get some work done, the pay-per-use WiFi will sting. The quality of the IFE does somewhat lessen the blow. The show or movie you want to stream is probably available on their system. Other passengers may be perturbed by the comparative lack of privacy.

What Are The Skytrax World Airline Awards?

Everybody has a different opinion on what makes a great IFE. There will be plenty of disagreement on which carrier has the best system. This article has based its position of Cathay Pacific at the top of the world’s IFE on the results of the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards for the best IFE. Skytrax refers to these awards as « the Oscars of the aviation industry. » They have been running since 1999.

A unique attribute of these awards is how open they are. Any airline can be nominated and there is no charge for entry fees or to attend the awards event. That is because the awards are fully funded by the other services that Skytrax offers. The final winners of each category are selected by customers, making these awards truly a passenger choice. There were 325 airlines included in the awards, with the survey running from September 2024 to May 2025. Over 100 nationalities participated in the survey. Skytrax also has strict security measures to ensure that the results are fair. This includes the fact that they host the survey themselves and take steps to ensure that individuals do not complete it multiple times.