The world’s safest airlines for 2025 have been revealed by AirlineRatings.com. The airline safety rating website analyses and grades airlines based on various factors, including serious incidents over the past two years, fleet age, fleet size, rate of incidents, fatalities, profitability, IOSA certification, ICAO country audit pass, and pilot skill and training.

All indicators are evaluated appropriately to ensure the ratings are fair. For example, the website highlighted that the ratio of the number of aircraft an airline operates to the number of incidents that occur is considered. Financial instability can lead to an automatic disqualification as a candidate due to the potential for operational challenges. Additionally, any airline found at fault for a crash or failing its IOSA certification — an industry standard that verifies an airline’s operational management and control systems meet global safety standards — cannot be considered.

Air New Zealand was named the safest full-service airline for 2025.

Sharon Petersen, AirlinesRating.com CEO, said: “It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines. Whilst 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.”

Three airlines tied for third place because the review website “simply could not separate these airlines”. The scores for fleet age, pilot skills, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents were identical.

This year’s list saw some significant changes compared to the 2024 one. It has debut features from Iberia and Vietnam Airlines, and Korean Air has risen into the top 10.

Singapore Airlines and KLM are absent from the list this year. However, Ms Peterson noted that while the airlines remain exceptionally safe and retain their seven-star safety rating, they narrowly missed out on a spot this year due to incidents that occurred.

Full list of world’s 25 safest full-service airlines:

1. Air New Zealand
2. Qantas
3. Cathay Pacific; Qatar Airways; Emirates – tied.
4. Virgin Australia
5. Etihad Airways
6. ANA
7. EVA Air
8. Korean Air
9. Alaska Airlines
10. Turkish Airlines (THY)
11. TAP Portugal
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. American Airlines
14. SAS
15. British Airways
16. Iberia
17. Finnair
18. Lufthansa/Swiss
19. JAL
20. Air Canada
21. Delta Airlines
22. Vietnam Airlines
23. United Airlines