share on
Air New Zealand has claimed the top spot for the second consecutive year, while Hong Kong Express has emerged as the safest low-cost airline.
Before we embark on our next vacation or business trip in 2025, let's take a look at the world’s safest airlines, as ranked by AirlineRatings.com.
For the second consecutive year, Air New Zealand has been named the world's safest airline. It is closely followed by Qantas, which maintains its second position, trailing by just 1.50 points.
Tied for third place are Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Emirates.
There are also some significant changes from last year’s list. Iberia and Vietnam Airlines have made their debut on the list, as well as Korean Air has risen into the top 10.
Notably, Singapore Airlines and KLM are absent from this year’s rankings. Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com, 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.
The full list of the top 25 safest full-service airlines for 2025:
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific; Qatar Airways; Emirates
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
- ANA
- EVA Air
- Korean Air
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines (THY)
- TAP Portugal
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- SAS
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Finnair
- Lufthansa/Swiss
- JAL
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- United Airlines
Meanwhile, the list of the safest low-cost airlines has also been announced.
Hong Kong Express has claimed the top spot with a relatively flawless safety record, having no serious incidents.
New entries this year include Zipair, Jet2, and Air Baltic.
A notable omission this year is Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024 to restructure its finances and reduce debt.
The full list of the top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2025:
- Hong Kong Express
- Jetstar Group
- Ryanair
- easyJet
- Frontier Airlines
- AirAsia
- Wizz Air
- VietJet Air
- Southwest Airlines
- Volaris
- flydubai
- Norwegian
- Vueling
- Jet2
- Sun Country Airlines
- WestJet
- JetBlue Airways
- Air Arabia
- IndiGo
- Eurowings
- Allegiant Air
- Cebu Pacific
- ZipAir
- SKY Airline
- Air Baltic
How to determine the world’s safest airlines
The rankings are based on multiple key factors assessed across 385 airlines, including:
- Serious incidents over the past two years
- Fleet age
- Fleet size
- Rate of incidents
- Fatalities
- Profitability
- IOSA certification
- ICAO country audit pass
- Pilot skill and training
All these factors are assessed in the appropriate context. Additionally, financial instability within an airline is a key consideration for determining eligibility, as it can lead to significant operational challenges.
Another important factor is the management of incidents.
ALSO READ: List of public holidays across APAC for 2025
share on
