According to a new study of airlines ranked by safety, Air New Zealand is the most secure airline of 2025.
Every traveler wants peace of mind when they board a plane. While all airlines must adhere to strict safety regulations, there are some that go above and beyond to ensure the safety of their passengers. In this article, we will take a closer look at the top 25 safest airlines in the world, based on a variety of safety factors.
Best Airlines Ranked by Safety in 2025
The selection of the top 25 safest airlines exemplifies the forefront of safety, innovation, and the introduction of cutting-edge aircraft. The margins of safety ratings between these top twenty-five airlines are extremely narrow. When comparing Air New Zealand and Qantas, there is merely a difference of 1.5 points. It is an exceptionally close result.
The annual list by AirlineRatings.com assesses numerous criteria when evaluating airlines. These include serious incident records, recent fatal accidents, audits conducted by aviation regulatory bodies, industry performance, leading safety initiatives, evaluation of pilot training, and fleet age.
However, these airline ratings do not account for events beyond the airline’s control, such as bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions, and lightning strikes.
Air New Zealand took the top spot of the world’s safest airline for its unwavering commitment to safety and exceptional performance across a broad range of factors, even considering the smallest details.
This airline’s pilots operate seamlessly in highly challenging environments. For example, Wellington is renowned for its formidable winds, while Queenstown poses significant navigational complexities.
Iberia and Vietnam Airlines made their debut on the full-service list, while Zipair, Jet2, and Air Baltic are new to the low-cost list.
TOP 25 SAFEST AIRLINES FOR 2025
The top twenty five safest full-service airlines are as follows:
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates (three-way tie)
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
- ANA
- EVA Air
- Korean Air
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- TAP Portugal
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- SAS
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Finnair
- Lufthansa/Swiss
- JAL
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- United Airlines
Singapore Airlines and KLM dropped off the 2025 list despite maintaining seven-star safety ratings, due to incidents that occurred. Singapore Airlines reported a fatality on 21 May 2024, when a Boeing 777 plane travelling from London to Singapore experienced severe turbulence. Some passengers weren’t wearing seatbelts and were projected towards the ceiling.
Qantas, which is in second place this year, has never had a fatal jet airline accident. This Australian airline invests heavily in maintenance and safety procedures, and its pilots go through rigorous training programs.
Some examples of other airlines that have never had a fatal crash, according to Airsafe, are Hawaiian Airlines, Etihad, Frontier Airlines, Emirates, Aegean Airlines, Qatar Airways, GoJet Airlines, Air Europa, easyJet, Republic Airways, WestJet, Air Transat, Swiss, British Airways, Envoy Air, LATAM Airlines Brasil, LATAM Airlines Chile, LATAM Airlines Perú, Oman Airways, Hainan Airlines, Jetstar Airways, Allegiant Air, Shenzhen Airlines, Air Zimbabwe, Southwest, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia. They are listed in no particular order.
TOP 25 SAFEST LOW-COST AIRLINES FOR 2025
- HK Express (Hong Kong Airways)
- 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
These airlines possess an excellent safety culture and maintain low incident rates. Several of these low-cost carriers have never had a fatal crash.
Air India Fatal Crash (June 12, 2025)
Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, crashed just 36 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, 2025. The aircraft was carrying 242 people (230 passengers and 12 crew members) and crashed into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 people with only one survivor.
Key Facts:
- Casualties: At least 290 total deaths including those on the ground, making it one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades.
- Aircraft: This was the first fatal accident and hull loss involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
- Survivor: Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin, was the sole survivor.
- Ground Impact: The crash killed several medical students at BJ Medical College when the plane crashed into their mess hall.
Investigation Status:
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and Boeing. Both black boxes have been recovered.
Initial findings suggest the possibility of dual engine failure, as video appears to show the automatic deployment of the plane’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power system that activates during major electrical, hydraulic, or dual-engine failure.
This crash significantly impacts the aviation safety landscape for 2025. It raises questions about airport safety standards, as aviation experts noted that the plane crashed into a six-story building just 300 meters from the airport perimeter, which may violate safety standards for obstacles near airports.
Final Thoughts on the World’s Safest Airlines
When it comes to air travel, safety is always the top priority. The airlines on this list go above and beyond standard safety regulations to ensure the safety of their passengers.
From cutting-edge safety technology to rigorous pilot training programs, these outstanding airlines are leading the way in aviation safety. Travelers can rest assured that they are in good hands when flying with one of these safest airlines in the world.
The death risk per flight boarding between 2018-2022 was approximately one in 13.7 million, compared to WHO’s estimate of 1.19 million road fatalities in 2023.
About AirlineRatings.com
AirlineRatings.com evaluates the airline safety and in-flight offerings of 385 airlines, utilizing a unique seven-star rating system.
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