Last updated: August 05, 2026
Choosing an airline is not just about price or comfort. For many travelers, safety is the deciding factor.
While flying remains the safest form of transport globally, understanding which airlines consistently lead in safety standards can give you extra peace of mind before you book.
Based on the most recent findings from AirlineRatings, this guide explains what is the safest airlines in the world, highlights the top 10 safest airlines in the world, and clarifies how these rankings are determined.
KEY INSIGHTS
Below is the Top 10 safest airlines in the world, based on the latest global safety rankings from AirlineRatings, adjusted for fleet age, incident rates per flight, pilot training, and international safety audits.
| Rank | Airline | Region | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etihad Airways | Middle East | Full-service |
| 2 | Cathay Pacific | Asia-Pacific | Full-service |
| 3 | Qantas | Oceania | Full-service |
| 4 | Qatar Airways | Middle East | Full-service |
| 5 | Emirates | Middle East | Full-service |
| 6 | Air New Zealand | Oceania | Full-service |
| 7 | Singapore Airlines | Asia-Pacific | Full-service |
| 8 | EVA Air | Asia-Pacific | Full-service |
| 9 | Virgin Australia | Oceania | Full-service |
| 10 | Korean Air | Asia-Pacific | Full-service |
According to AirlineRatings, the difference between the first and the tenth airline is just 1.3 points, which means this ranking reflects operational consistency, not dramatic safety gaps.
Etihad ranks as the safest airline in the world due to a combination of measurable safety performance and long-term operational discipline, not because of a single metric. Etihad Airways is the United Arab Emirates' national airline, headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It is a full-service international carrier that flies to 110 destinations, with an operating fleet of 128 aircraft as of February 2026.
Emirates airline has faced challenges due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since March 2026. As a result, the airline is currently operating fewer flights, which may lead to potential schedule changes and route uncertainties. However, it's important to note that these operational adjustments do not compromise the airline's commitment to safety and preparedness. Travelers can still expect a high level of safety standards while flying with Emirates.
What makes it the safest airline?
Etihad Airways operates a modern long-haul fleet and has built a strong reputation for innovation, safety, and operational discipline. Etihad Global claims that its fleet is still in its infancy. According to Etihad's 2026 traffic update, its average fleet age is 8.3 years, and fleet data sources place it in a similar range. This is typically advantageous because newer aircraft typically have more advanced systems and require less maintenance.
Etihad became the first Gulf airline to top the global safety ranking, supported by a young fleet, flawless international audit results, and a crash-free commercial history. In addition, the airline's fleet expanded significantly in 2025. Etihad Airways announced that its operating fleet had grown to 127 aircraft, the largest in its history, after adding 29 more this year.
Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong's flag carrier and a full-service international airline based at Hong Kong International Airport. It is part of the Cathay Pacific Group. Cathay Pacific consistently ranks as one of the world's safest airlines, thanks to a deeply embedded safety-first culture and decades of operational consistency.
AirlineRatings ranked it as the second safest full-service airline in the world for 2025. This ranking considers factors such as incident rates adjusted for flight volume, fleet age, serious incidents, pilot training, international safety audits, and turbulence-prevention practices.
What makes it the second-safest airline?
Ranked second worldwide, Cathay Pacific maintained an exceptionally low incident rate across a high volume of international flights. Additionally, Cathay reported that it won awards for business class and airline-branded lounges and placed second in the World's Best Full-Service Airlines category.
Qantas Airways is Australia's flag carrier and one of the world's oldest continuously operating airlines. It is based in Australia. Qantas has long been regarded as a global benchmark for airline safety, and its position in the top 3 reflects decades of disciplined operational standards rather than short-term performance.
What makes it the third-safest airline?
For current third-party rankings, AirlineRatings placed Qantas 3rd among the world’s safest full-service airlines for 2025. That ranking considers factors such as serious incidents, fleet age, pilot training, incident rate relative to flights, and international safety audits. Here are some of the reasons:
Qantas remains among the best and safest airlines in the world, with minimal score differences separating the top ranks. Cirium’s 2025 review placed Qantas in the Asia-Pacific on-time rankings with 76.51% on-time arrivals, which is broadly consistent with the Australian government data.
Qatar Airways is Qatar's national airline, headquartered in Doha, and one of the world's leading full-service carriers, operating a global network of over 160 destinations with a modern long-haul fleet. The airline is ranked fourth among the world's safest full-service airlines for 2025, owing to its strong safety record, IOSA compliance, and high operating standards. Qatar Airways consistently ranks among the best and safest airlines in the world due to its focus on modern aircraft and operational consistency.
What makes it a safe airline?
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East from March 2026 has resulted in temporary airspace closures and schedule disruptions for Qatar Airways. However, these issues primarily affect routing and flight schedules and do not indicate a decrease in the airline's overall safety standards.
The airline ranks as SkyRefund's best airline in the world for 2025. It is recognisable for its reliability, exceptional passenger experience, value for money and an impressive 44% success in complaint resolution but with an increasing number of claims YoY according to our data.
In 2025, Qatar Airways was joint third in the global safety rankings, tied with Cathay Pacific and Emirates due to identical scoring across multiple safety criteria. The most recent data from Cirium shows that Qatar Airways continues to operate nearly 17,000 flights in October with an outstanding 87.47% on-time arrival rate. With a 99.89% on-time rate, the airline ranks fifth globally and demonstrates outstanding operational reliability throughout its network.
Emirates is the flag carrier of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and one of the world’s largest long-haul airlines. Many travelers wonder, “Is Emirates the safest airline in the world?”. While not first, Emirates remains in the top tier of global airline safety. Emirates ranked fifth among the world's safest full-service airlines for 2025, according to AirlineRatings' global rankings. That ranking takes into account serious incidents, fleet age, audits, training, and operational safety performance, which is why Emirates is widely regarded as one of the world's safest major airlines.
What makes it a safe airline?
The current Middle East from March 2026 conflict has affected Emirates’ operations, but not in a way that suggests the airline itself has become unsafe. Emirates states on its official travel updates page that the safety and security of passengers and crew remain its highest priority and will not be compromised. It also advises travelers to keep checking flight status and operational updates before going to the airport.
With one of the largest worldwide networks, Emirates is renowned for its opulent service and roomy cabins. Emirates provides an exceptional experience in every cabin class, whether it's through the award-winning in-flight entertainment, regionally inspired dining, or the A380 onboard lounge.
The airline has a 99.87% completion rate and an 80.76% on-time arrival rate, which guarantees efficient operations and efficient disruption management. Although Emirates is not a member of a major alliance, its 28 strategic partnerships form a global network that is competitive with the largest airline groups.
Air New Zealand is New Zealand’s flag carrier, operating long-haul routes across the Pacific, Asia, and North America. It is widely seen as a strong full-service airline and ranked 6th among the world’s safest full-service airlines for 2025 in AirlineRatings’ safety ranking. The airline is seen as safe because of its high safety ranking, audited safety systems, regulator-accepted safety management, and long-standing operational discipline
What makes it a safe airline?
Air New Zealand performed exceptionally well in Cirium's 2025 performance data. According to Air New Zealand, the airline finished second in the Asia-Pacific region in Cirium's 2025 On-Time Performance Review, which is based on the annual review. This is a significant result because it indicates that the airline was one of the best-performing major carriers in the region in terms of punctuality, while also operating a high percentage of its scheduled flights.
Singapore Airlines is the flag carrier of Singapore and a leading full-service airline. Singapore Airlines remained widely regarded as a safe airline in 2025, although it was not included in AirlineRatings’ 2025 safest airlines list. AirlineRatings noted that the carrier still retained its seven-star safety rating and remained exceptionally safe despite narrowly missing the ranking. It combines a modern fleet, formal safety management, and strong industry oversight.
What makes it a safe airline?
Singapore Airlines did not appear in the 2025 top 25 due to a turbulence-related incident, but returned after comprehensive reviews and safety enhancements.
Singapore Airlines ensures smooth and efficient operations with an 82.19% on-time arrival rate and a successful complaint resolution rate of more than 30%. Its hub, Singapore Changi Airport, is frequently ranked as the best in the world, allowing for seamless global connections.
Beyond service, the airline is a sustainability pioneer, having implemented sustainable aviation fuel on regular commercial routes and committing to net-zero emissions by 2050.
EVA Air is Taiwan's second largest airline, with a modern long-haul fleet. EVA Air is regarded as a safe airline because it combines a long-standing safety record with modern fleet management and industry oversight. EVA Air was ranked seventh among the world's safest full-service airlines by AirlineRatings in 2025, marking the airline's 12th consecutive year on the list. Another reason is its relatively young fleet and structured safety management. EVA Air’s 2024 sustainability reporting listed its average fleet age at 8.74 years, which supports reliability and maintenance efficiency.
What makes it a safe airline?
In 2025, EVA Air maintained its top-tier status, ranking 7th among the world's safest airlines and securing a 5-Star Airline Certification from Skytrax for the tenth consecutive year. Known for high operational quality, the carrier was named the World's Cleanest Airline and recorded high load factors, particularly in North America.
Virgin Australia is one of Australia's leading full-service airlines, specializing in domestic and short-haul international routes. In 2025, AirlineRatings ranked it fourth among the world's safest full-service airlines, owing to its strong safety reputation, IOSA-audited operations, and formal Safety Management Systems.
What makes it a safe airline?
For performance, Virgin Australia was one of the stronger airlines in Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review for Asia-Pacific, finishing 7th in the region with 77.60% on-time arrivals, 78.47% on-time departures, and a 98.96% completion factor across 207,741 flights.
Korean Air is South Korea's flag carrier, operating a global network with a cutting-edge long-haul fleet. Korean Air ranked 8th among the world's safest full-service airlines in AirlineRatings' 2025 safety ranking, owing to its strong safety standards, fleet profile, IOSA certification, and operational discipline.
What makes it a safe airline?
According to Cirium's 2025 on-time performance data, Korean Air ranked 10th in Asia-Pacific with 75.34% on-time arrivals, 99.42% tracked flights, and a 99.81% completion factor across 133,252 flights. That means Korean Air remained one of the region's top ten performers in terms of punctuality and completion in 2025, despite not being among the top carriers in the Cirium rankings.
According to AirlineRatings, the world's safest low-cost airlines for 2025 are HK Express, Jetstar, Scoot, flyDubai, Ryanair, easyJet, Frontier, AirAsia, Wizz Air, and VietJet Air. HK Express ranked first, followed by Jetstar and Scoot.
| Rank | Airline | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HK Express | Asia |
| 2 | Jetstar Airways | Oceania |
| 3 | Scoot | Asia |
| 4 | easyJet | Europe |
| 5 | Southwest Airlines | North America |
| 6 | airBaltic | Europe |
| 7 | Wizz Air | Europe |
| 8 | VietJet Air | Asia |
| 9 | Vueling | Europe |
| 10 | Ryanair | Europe |
Safety rankings show that budget airlines operate at the same regulatory safety level as full-service carriers.
The safest airline in the world ranking is built on multiple objective criteria. AirlineRatings evaluates more than 320 airlines globally using a multi-layered methodology that includes
Even when you fly with the safest airlines in the world, disruptions still happen. That’s where SkyRefund steps in.
If your flight arrived more than 3 hours late, you may be entitled to flight delay compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261), for example, provided the disruption was within the airline’s control.
A cancelled flight can entitle you to compensation of up to €600, depending on distance and notice period.
Overbooking remains common, even among top-ranked airlines. If you were denied boarding against your will, you may have the right to overbooked flight compensation.
At the end, Safety rankings can offer reassurance, but when travel goes wrong, knowing your rights matters more.
SkyRefund handles airline negotiations and legal steps on a no win, no fee basis. Just submit your claim for compensation!
Etihad Airways is currently ranked as the safest airline in the world, according to the latest AirlineRatings global safety assessment.
There is no single “most dangerous airline” today, but American Airlines and Air France have historically been listed as the airlines with the most recorded crashes, according to various sources. That does not mean that they are unsafe today. Many of the accidents occurred decades ago, when global aviation safety standards were much lower. Instead of total historical crashes, what matters now is an airline's most recent safety record, pilot training, operational procedures, regulatory audits, and incident rate per flight. That is why modern safety rankings prioritize current performance, with airlines such as Etihad, Qatar, Qantas, and Air New Zealand ranking among the safest today.
Based on the most recent AirlineRatings rankings, HK Express is currently ranked as the safest low-cost airline in the world. A mention to Wizz Air and Ryanair as well, with solid performances.
Emirates is among the top safest airlines in the world; it's ranked in the fifth position. Etihad currently holds the position of number one.
According to AirlineRatings' 2025 safety rankings, Alaska Airlines was the safest airline in the United States, ranking first among American full-service carriers.
Qantas has frequently ranked first in past years and remains one of the safest airlines globally, though it is not the current leader.
Finnair maintains a strong safety record but does not appear in the current Top 10 global ranking.
Ryanair is considered one of the safest low-cost airlines, but it does not top the global full-service ranking.
Not necessarily. Even the safest airlines can experience flight delays, flight cancellations, and denied boarding due to overbooking.
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The worst airports in the world: Delays, cancellations and denied boarding
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