What are the safest airlines in the world for 2025? It’s a topic on many travelers’ minds after a string of recent airline disasters, including a Jeju Air crash in South Korea and the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane.
AirlineRatings.com, an airline safety and product rating review site, has just released its latest ranking of the safest airlines in the world for 2025. The site rates the safety and in-flight product of 385 airlines using its own seven-star rating system.
In creating its report, the site considers a wide range of factors—from recent fatal accidents to audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, industry-leading safety initiatives, fleet age and more. Another critical factor is how the airlines handle the incidents.
However, the report leaves out things like bird strikes, turbulence injuries and weather diversions, since the airlines have no control over these factors.
To assist passengers and enhance confidence, AirlineRatings.com has also collaborated with Skyscanner to introduce a new flight booking platform where you can search for flights based on safety, price and duration.
The Safest Airlines In The World: Major Carriers
So what is the safest airline in the world? According to AirlineRatings.com, the safest airline for 2025 is Air New Zealand, which also won in 2024 and 2022. “Air New Zealand boasts an outstanding safety record, with no serious incidents or crashes in the modern jet era. The airline regularly operates in challenging conditions, including Queenstown, one of the most demanding airports due to its high mountain ranges and strong downdrafts,” AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen told me in an interview.
Another thing going for Air New Zealand: “Pilots undergo rigorous simulator training to master this approach. Similarly, Wellington, known for its intense winds, requires exceptional pilot expertise,” says Peterson.
Quantas comes in a close second. “It was extremely close between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines. Qantas has had a couple of incidents recently, which ultimately made the difference,” says Petersen.
Another slight edge for Air New Zealand: “Air New Zealand also maintains a modern and relatively young fleet, with an average aircraft age of 10.4 years, giving them a slight edge over Qantas in this regard,” says Petersen.
This year, there is a three-way tie for the third spot between Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airlines. “From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size and number of incidents, their scores were identical,” says Petersen.
The Safest Airlines In The World: Low-Cost Carriers
Coming in as the safest low-cost airline is Hong Kong Express. According to AirlineRatings.com, this Asia-based airline hasn’t had any serious incidents and it maintains a “relatively flawless safety record.”
“HK Express is an airline we’ve had our eye on for a while. When evaluating the safest airlines, factors like passenger volume, fleet size, and network coverage play a key role, which is why they hadn’t made the cut in previous years,” says Petersen. “However, the airline’s recent growth has not only earned it a spot on this year’s shortlist but also secured its place as the winner, thanks to consistently outstanding safety performance. With virtually no incidents and a modern fleet averaging just seven years old, HK Express stands out.”
Another selling point for Hong Kong Express: “Its affiliation with Cathay Pacific—a renowned organization with a strong commitment to safety—further solidifies its reputation,” says Petersen.
Some of new additions to this year’s list of low-cast carriers include Jet2 (ranked number 14), Zipair (ranked number 23) and Air Baltic (ranked number 25).
The Safest Airlines In The World: Major U.S. Carriers
International carriers once again dominate the list of safest major carriers. When it comes to major U.S. carriers, Alaska Airlines is once again top-ranked airline for 2025, coming in at number nine—one point up from 2024 when it ranked 10.
Next up is Hawaiian Airlines ranks at number 14—a big jump from 2024 when it was number 21. American Airlines ranks 15—up six spots from number 22 in 2024. Delta Air Lines comes in at number 23. And United Airlines ranks number 25 for the second year in a row.
“American, United, Delta and Southwest are the four largest airlines in the world by capacity. Despite operating an enormous number of flights and carrying millions of passengers each year, their incident rates per flight are exceptionally low,” says Petersen. “This is a testament to their rigorous pilot training programs and adherence to all international safety audits. Unless a major fault-based accident occurs, these airlines are expected to remain consistent fixtures on the annual safety list.”
Another point, according to Peterson: “When it comes to international carriers, most full-service airlines fall into this category, which is why they dominate the list of the world’s safest airlines,” she says. “In contrast, low-cost airlines, typically operating narrow-body aircraft, tend to focus on local or regional routes due to their limited flight range. However, a closer look at the list reveals that every single winner is an airline that operates international flights.”
The Safest Airlines In The World: Low-Cost U.S. Carriers
Of the low-cost U.S. carriers, Frontier comes out on top. “Frontier has experienced a few incidents this year, but they’ve been handled well. For us, it’s important to acknowledge that incidents happen every day—it’s how they’re managed that truly matters,” says Petersen. “Frontier also operates a very young and modern fleet, with an average age of just over four years.”
One caveat for Frontier—a recent incident in October 2024, which could impact the airline’s rating. “The most recent incident in October highlighted a situation with multiple issues occurring simultaneously, which the pilots managed successfully. We won’t adjust the airline’s ranking in this case until the official NTSB report is released. “
One airline not on the list this year is Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024.
The Safest Airlines In The World: Notable Changes
There are some notable changes this year. Korean Air has gone up two points from 2024, making it into the top 10.
Iberia (number 18) and Vietnam Airlines (number 24) both are in the top 25 list—the first time for Vietnam Airlines.
Two major airlines that didn’t make the list this year are Singapore Airlines and KLM. According to Petersen, these airlines are “exceptionally safe” but narrowly missed the top 25, due to incidents like extreme (and deadly) turbulence on a May 2024 Singapore Airlines flight and a KLM plane skidding off the runway in December 2024.
But according to AirlineRatings.com, how the airlines manage incidents makes a big difference, which was the case in a 2024 Japan Airlines crash at Haneda Airport. “The crew applied their rigorous training effectively, and passengers followed safety protocols, including leaving hand luggage behind. In less capable hands, this incident might have resulted in disaster,” AirlineRatings.com wrote in its report. “For us, such an incident can actually enhance an airline’s safety profile.”
The Safest Airlines In The World: How Safe Is Flying
So how safe is flying? A recent airline safety study showed that the global death risk is approximately one in 13.7 million. Compare that to the road fatality rate of one in 1.19 million.
But still, the recent incidents leave passengers feeling wary. “The industry has faced an incredibly challenging time, and our thoughts remain with the families of those lost in what we believe were likely preventable accidents,” says Peterson. “There’s no denying that the skies are becoming increasingly crowded, and the impact of climate change on weather patterns cannot be ignored. Turbulence has risen significantly, with incidents like SQ321 from London to Singapore standing out as particularly severe.
Compounding these challenges: “Manufacturing issues at Boeing affected airlines such as Alaska Airlines early last year. Additionally, the growing demand for pilots as airlines expand raises concerns about whether training standards can consistently keep pace” says Peterson. “It’s crucial that only the most qualified pilots enter the system.”
Scroll down to see both lists for the safest airlines in the world—major carriers and low-cost airlines. You can also see the entire report and more info at AirlineRatings.com,
Ranked: The 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines for 2025
1. Air New Zealand
2. Qantas
3. Cathay Pacific (tie)
3. Emirates (tie)
3. Qatar Airways (tie)
6. Virgin Australia
7. Etihad Airways
8. ANA
9. EVA Air
10. Korean Air
11. Alaska Airlines
12. Turkish Airlines (THY)
13. TAP Portugal
14. Hawaiian Airlines
15. American Airlines
16.. SAS
17. British Airways
18. Iberia
19. Finnair
20. Lufthansa/Swiss
21. JAL
22. Air Canada
23. Delta Air Lines
24. Vietnam Airlines
25. United Airlines
Ranked: The 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025
1. Hong Kong Express
2. Jetstar Group
3. Ryanair
4. easyJet
5. Frontier Airlines
6. AirAsia
7. Wizz Air
8. VietJet Air
9. Southwest Airlines
10. Volaris
11. flydubai
12. Norwegian
13. Vueling
14. Jet2
15. Sun Country Airlines
16. WestJet
17. JetBlue Airways
18. Air Arabia
19. IndiGo
20. Eurowings
21. Allegiant Air
22. Cebu Pacific
23. ZipAir
24. SKY Airline
25. Air Baltic