Ryanair snubbed as the three top short-haul airlines are crowned

It’s been a rocky year for Michael O’Leary’s budget Irish carrier.

From ditching 24 routes to and from Germany to axing millions of seats from its Spanish schedule, Ryanair has most recently been snubbed as a top short-haul airline.

In this year’s Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards, over 900,000 votes were cast in search of the top companies in the business, which included naming the best airline.

In a bid to better reflect travel patterns, voting for long-haul and short-haul carriers was split into two categories.

While Emirates bagged first place for long-haul travel thanks to its spacious first-class suites, which include showers, and impeccable service, it was British Airways that made the biggest mark: The homegrown carrier was awarded second place in this category and first for best short-haul airline of 2025.

There are a few reasons for this. From January to March this year, 86% of BA flights left on time from its Heathrow base — the highest performance on record.

New cutting-edge technology and AI forecasting tools introduced as part of the airline’s £7 billion investment programme have significantly boosted flight punctuality.

New aircraft, including the next generation of British Airways’ Airbus A320neo, have been fitted with a ‘modern yet classic British interior,’ featuring extra-large bins for overhead luggage.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said in a statement last year regarding the investment: ‘We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. 

‘We’re also heavily investing in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points for our customers.’

Which other budget airlines were crowned?

easyJet and Jet2 were the other British airlines that earned the second and third ranking as quality short-haul airlines.

Despite the absence of a short-haul category in 2024, easyJet has maintained its stature, having won the editor’s choice award last year.

The airline has had a successful 12 months, from launching winter flights to Cape Verde to its new luxury holiday collection aimed to ‘redefine premium travel.’

The package features over 70 five-star hotels across Europe and North Africa available to book now, with departure dates from April 1, 2026.

easyJet’s chief executive, Garry Wilson, who called the launch a ‘new era,’ said it allows the airline to ‘reach new audiences,’ and strengthen its ‘position as a leader in both value and luxury travel.’

easyJet also won aviation company of the year at the Aviation Industry Awards UK 2025, partly due to its carbon emission reductions.

As for Jet2 — which is also a popular choice among travellers looking for affordable, no-frills travel — it’d be naive to dismiss its fame as the ‘song of the summer.’

Despite being released in 2015 and used by Jet2 in the years since, Jess Glynne’s ‘Hold My Hand,’ along with Zoë Lister’s ‘Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday’ narration, became a viral meme on TikTok this year.

The meme has also been enjoyed by celebs, most notably by Mariah Carey, who boarded a private jet to Brighton Pride in August to the soundbite.

Jokes aside, its third-place ranking was also likely due to the addition of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft, which is over 20% more fuel efficient than older aircraft.

Plus, expanding its choice of destinations from the UK, including an ‘unspoiled’ Greek island.