Airlines are the biggest source of travel and connectivity across the globe. With threats related to technology, weather, and other reasons in this modern era, passengers have become more aware of choosing safe airlines for themselves. But it is critical to say which airline is safe to travel on or what the safest airlines in the world are. But don’t worry! Every issue comes with a solution.
Some popular and authentic aviation sites publish an annual ranking of full-service airlines- those offering both domestic and international operations. This ranking is based on various crucial factors to measure their place on the safety board. These factors include serious incident history, government and international aviation audits, fleet age, pilot training standards, and operational excellence. These sites compare nearly 400 airlines, measuring them on the basis of a total of 11 criteria.
While the agencies have published the list for the year 2025, let’s go through it in this blog.

How do the top Full Service and Low Cost Airlines Rank?
Before we know about the safest airline in the world, it is crucial to know how an airline is considered safe. Below are the factors that are measured while ensuring the safety of the airline:
- 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

Top 10 Safest Airlines in the World
The following are the Top 10 safest airlines in the world 2025, ranked by various agencies:
1. Air New Zealand: Based in Auckland, Air New Zealand is the flag carrier of New Zealand. The Airline has been a member of Star Alliance since 1999. The airline was named the ‘Best Airline’ in the Airline Excellence Awards 2020. In 2023, again, the airline was the winner of Airline of the Year. Thus, it is there at first place when it comes to the safest airlines in the world 2025.
2. Qantas: Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. It is the only airline in the whole world flying to all seven continents. Founded in November 1920, it is one of the oldest airlines in the world that is still operating.
3. Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates: There are three airlines ranked at number 3 when we talk about the safest airlines in the world 2025:
- Cathay Pacific Airways: Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, or simply Cathay Pacific, is the flag carrier of Hong Kong.
- Qatar Airways: The flag carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways, has its headquarters in Qatar Airways Tower in Doha. It serves in 170 international destinations across five continents. This popular aircraft currently has a fleet of more than 200 aircraft.
- Emirates: It is one of the two leading flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates. This is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. Operating in 150 cities across 80 countries covering six continents, it is the largest airline in the Middle East. The fleet of Emirates consists of nearly 250 aircraft.
4. Virgin Australia: Formerly known as Virgin Blue, it is an Australian airline based in Brisbane. As of December 2024, it has grown to become the largest domestic airline in Australia by passenger market share. As of 2025, the airline serves 33 destinations across Australia. As of August, the total fleet size of the airline is 107 aircraft.
5. Etihad Airways: The second lead carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, is known for delivering an extraordinary travel experience. It serves in 100 destinations around the globe. It is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates. As of August 2025, it consists of 106 aircraft from various families, including Boeing and Airbus models.
6. ANA: All Nippon Airways, popularly known as ANA, is the largest airline in Japan. The airline covers extensive routes across Asia, North America, and Europe. Passengers find the airline popular for hospitality, in-flight meals, and cleanliness.
7. EVA Air: EVA Airways Corporation is an international airline having its headquarters in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. EVA is one of the three largest airlines in Taiwan. This is a privately owned airline, covering 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. As of August 2025, it has a total of 87 aircraft.
8. Korean Air: Korean Air is the flag carrier and the largest airline in terms of fleet size in South Korea. It has a total of 157 aircraft. It operates a large fleet of both passenger and cargo, including a diverse range of models. It was selected as the 2025 Airline of the Year. The airline also got the 2022 Cargo Airline of the Year Award.
9. Alaska Airlines: In the list of the safest airlines in the world 2025, Alaska Airlines comes at number 9. Alaska Airlines is a major airline in the US and the fifth-largest airline in North America in terms of scheduled passengers carried. It is based in SeaTac, Washington. The airline owns a large number of 328 aircraft, serving 128 destinations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Bahamas.
10. Turkish Airlines (THY): Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier of Turkey, serving across 352 destinations in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. The airline has won the Skytrax World Airline Awards as Best Airline in Europe 2025. The airline has earned this award for the tenth time.

Top 50 Safest Airlines in the World
Let’s know about the top 50 safest airlines in the world in the tables below, in the progression of the above details. These tables are divided according to 2 categories: full-service carriers and low-cost airlines.
- Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines (2025)
Full-service airlines are those that include a wide range of amenities in the ticket cost. Below are the top 25 safest full-service airlines in the world according to 2025:
| Rank | Airline | Country |
| 1 | Air New Zealand | New Zealand |
| 2 | Qantas | Australia |
| 3 | Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates | Hong Kong, Qatar, UAE |
| 4 | Virgin Australia | Australia |
| 5 | Etihad Airways | UAE |
| 6 | ANA | Japan |
| 7 | EVA Air | Taiwan |
| 8 | Korean Air | South Korea |
| 9 | Alaska Airlines | USA |
| 10 | Turkish Airlines | Turkey |
| 11 | TAP Portugal | Portugal |
| 12 | Hawaiian Airlines | USA |
| 13 | American Airlines | USA |
| 14 | SAS | Scandinavia |
| 15 | British Airways | UK |
| 16 | Iberia | Spain |
| 17 | Finnair | Finland |
| 18 | Lufthansa/Swiss | Germany/Switz. |
| 19 | Japan Airlines (JAL) | Japan |
| 20 | Air Canada | Canada |
| 21 | Delta Air Lines | USA |
| 22 | Vietnam Airlines | Vietnam |
| 23 | United Airlines | USA |
| 24 | Singapore Airlines | Singapore |
| 25 | KLM Royal Dutch | Netherlands |
- Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines (2025)
Low-Cost Airlines are budget-friendly airlines providing only essential facilities at the ticket price. You have to purchase additional services that are used to enhance customer comfort and convenience. Below are the safest low-cost airlines of 2025:
| Rank | Airline | Country |
| 1 | HK Express | Hong Kong |
| 2 | Jetstar Group | Australia/NZ |
| 3 | Ryanair | Ireland |
| 4 | easyJet | UK |
| 5 | Frontier Airlines | USA |
| 6 | AirAsia | Malaysia |
| 7 | Wizz Air | Hungary |
| 8 | VietJet Air | Vietnam |
| 9 | Southwest Airlines | USA |
| 10 | Volaris | Mexico |
| 11 | Flydubai | UAE |
| 12 | Norwegian | Norway |
| 13 | Vueling | Spain |
| 14 | Jet2 | UK |
| 15 | Sun Country | USA |
| 16 | WestJet | Canada |
| 17 | JetBlue Airways | USA |
| 18 | Air Arabia | UAE |
| 19 | IndiGo | India |
| 20 | Eurowings | Germany |
| 21 | Allegiant Air | USA |
| 22 | Cebu Pacific | Philippines |
| 23 | Zipair | Japan |
| 24 | SKY Airline | Chile |
| 25 | Air Baltic | Latvia |
Conclusion:
With the help of this blog, we conclude that Air New Zealand is the safest airline in the world.
While we have known the safest airlines in the world through this blog, make your next aviation journey decision wisely. The ratings by popular aviation sites confirm which airline you should choose. Thus, when you have to book a flight, check the ratings of your airline.
Research the airlines with their services and previous safety records. Furthermore, checking the accident history of an airline is also crucial when you want to choose the safest airline in the world.
While various authentic bodies are there, choose safety with every flight!
FAQs:
Ans: Air New Zealand has been ranked as the safest airline in the world for the year 2025.
Ans: Check the safety ranking of your airline through various authentic sources or research the services and reviews of the airlines.
Ans: A full-service carrier includes all the facility charges in the ticket price.
Ans: Following are some of the factors on which full-service and low-cost airlines are graded:
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
Ans: The top 50 safest airlines in the world are divided on the basis of full-service airlines and low-cost airlines.
















