AirlineRatings Reveals 2025's Safest Airlines: Air New Zealand Wins

AirlineRatings.com has released its annual report for 2025, ranking the world's safest airlines based on key safety factors. These include fleet age, pilot training, and the number of serious incidents recorded in the past two years. The comprehensive evaluation offers insights into both mainstream and low-cost airlines globally.

Air New Zealand emerged as the safest airline in the mainstream category, reclaiming the top spot from Qantas Airways. The competition between these two Southern Hemisphere carriers was exceptionally close, with just 1.50 points separating them. "Whilst both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continues to have a younger fleet than Qantas, which separates the two," said AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen. Qantas secured the second position, followed by a tie for third place between Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Emirates.

In the low-cost category, Hong Kong Express, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, claimed the number one spot. The top five also featured budget airlines like Jetstar, Ryanair, EasyJet, and Frontier Airlines. Frontier, based in the United States, secured the fifth position, showcasing its commitment to safety.

The report highlighted Alaska Airlines as the only North American carrier in the global top ten for mainstream airlines, ranking ninth. This achievement is notable given the airline's ability to maintain high safety standards despite challenges in the past year. Korean Air and Turkish Airlines rounded out the top ten, ranking eighth and tenth, respectively.

New entrants to the safety rankings included Zipair, Jet2, and Air Baltic, reflecting their growing reputation for robust safety measures. AirlineRatings.com also noted some absences this year, including Spirit Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Spirit's omission was linked to its recent financial restructuring, while Singapore Airlines faced turbulence incidents in 2024 that impacted its score. However, the report emphasized that Singapore Airlines remains a highly safe airline overall.

The ranking for 2025 stopped at 23 airlines, slightly shorter than the usual 25, due to a three-way tie for third place. Despite the adjustments, the list underscores the aviation industry's dedication to enhancing safety and passenger confidence.

Air New Zealand's win and the presence of a diverse array of carriers demonstrate the airline industry's dedication to maintaining world-class safety standards in 2025.

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