Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad feature in list of world’s safest airlines
The world’s safest airlines have been revealed, with carriers from the UAE and Qatar featuring in the top 10.
Aviation industry website AirlineRatings.com announced its Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025 from the 385 airlines it monitors.
Air New Zealand pipped Qantas to the top spot, while Middle East carriers Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad all featured in the top 10.
World’s 25 safest 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
CEO Sharon Petersen said: “It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.5 points separating the two airlines. While 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.”
Regarding a joint third-place for Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates, she said: “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.”
AirlineRatings.com uses bespoke metrics to assess the safest airlines around the world.
It said: “Consultations with check pilots and aviation experts compliment the following measures to determine the world’s safest airlines:
- 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
It is essential to evaluate all these factors in the appropriate context. For instance, an airline operating only 100 aircraft experiencing three incidents raises greater concern than an airline with 800 aircraft experiencing six incidents”.
