The World’s Top 10 Safest Airlines for 2025

The global aviation sector which suffered indelible blow from COVID-19 pandemic five years ago has remained strong on recovery path to finally surpass the pre-pandemic activity levels.

The demand for flight tickets is on the rise to facilitate in-country and international movements for politicians, economic nomads, migrating citizens and individuals on tourism.

The rising patronage of airlines is predicated on the proven notion that traveling by air remains both the fastest and safest means of transportation, globally, despite the high cost attached to it.

A recent airline safety study revealed that between 2018 and 2022, the global death risk per flight boarding was approximately one in 13.7 million.

In comparison, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 1.19 million fatalities from road accidents in 2023, equating to more than two deaths per minute.

While these statistics underscore the relative safety of flying, the loss of over 200 lives in December 2024 alone significantly surpass the 72 fatalities recorded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2023.

This informed ranking by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only airline safety and product rating website, of airlines on safety index.

It believed that announcements such as the World’s Safest Airlines help passengers to make informed choices.

To further assist passengers in making these informed decisions, AirlineRatings, in collaboration with Skyscanner, has introduced the world’s first flight booking platform that allows users to search for flights based on safety alongside price and duration. This innovative tool is designed to enhance passenger confidence and is accessible here.

Ranking Due Diligence

Its latest rating for 2025 used consultations with check pilots and aviation experts to determine the world’s safest airlines using measured such as serious incidents over the past two years, fleet age, fleet size, rate of incidents, fatalities, profitability, IOSA certification, ICAO country audit pass; and pilot skill and training.

It emphasised that it is essential to evaluate all these factors in the appropriate context.

For instance, it stated in a statement, an airline operating only 100 aircraft experiencing three incidents raises greater concern than an airline with 800 aircraft experiencing six incidents.

Additionally, financial instability within an airline can lead to significant operational challenges, automatically disqualifying it as a candidate. Similarly, any airline found at fault for a crash or failing its IOSA certification cannot be considered, it said.

Another critical factor is considered in the ranking is how incidents are managed. While incidents occur daily across the aviation industry, the expertise of pilots and crew often determines whether an event remains an incident or escalates into a tragedy.

The crash of JAL Flight 516 at Haneda Airport last year exemplifies this, highlighting the importance of a highly skilled crew and adherence to procedures.

The crew applied their rigorous training effectively, and passengers followed safety protocols, including leaving hand luggage behind. In less capable hands, this incident might have resulted in disaster. For us, such an incident can actually enhance an airline’s safety profile.

It is also important to note that many incidents stem from aircraft or engine manufacturing issues rather than operational problems. For example, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 experienced rapid cabin depressurisation when a door plug detached mid-flight. Investigations attributed the mishap to manufacturing defects, highlighting critical lapses in Boeing’s quality control processes.

The world’s top 10 airlines produced by the rating under the Safest Full-Service Airlines include Air New Zealand, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways, ANA, EVA Air, and Korean Air.

The second category revealed by the latest rating focused on Safest Low-Cost Airlines. The world’s top 10 operators in this category include Hong Kong Express, Jetstar Group, Ryanair, easyJet, Frontier Airlines, Air Asia, Wizz Air, VietJet Air, Southwest Airlines and Volaris.

Remarks

According to AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen, “It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines. Whilst both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas which separates the two.”

She continued, “The three-way tie for third place was because we simply could not separate these airlines. From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents, their scores were identical.

“Compared to last year’s list, some of the most significant changes include the inclusion of Iberia and Vietnam Airlines (which have made their list debut in the top 25), as well as Korean Air’s rise into the top 10. Notable absences this year are Singapore Airlines and KLM.”

Ms. Petersen emphasised that while these airlines remain exceptionally safe and retain their seven-star safety rating, they just narrowly missed out on a spot this year due to incidents that occurred.