AirlineRatings.com has announced its Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines and Low-Cost Airlines for the year 2025 from the 385 airlines it monitors.
formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world, the world’s only airline safety and product rating website AirlineRating was developed in 2012 to provide everyone in the world a one-stop-shop for everything related to airlines. Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating.
The Top 25 Full Service and Low-Cost Airlines are graded on the basis of Fleet age, Fleet size, Rate of incidents, Fatalities, Profitability, IOSA certification, ICAO country audit pass, Pilot skill and training.
Additionally, financial instability within an airline can lead to significant operational challenges, automatically disqualifying it as a candidate.
Similarly, any airline found at fault for a crash or failing its IOSA certification cannot be considered.
Another critical factor is how incidents are managed. While incidents occur daily across the aviation industry, the expertise of pilots and crew often determines whether an event remains an incident or escalates into a tragedy.
According to the AirlineRatings, the Top 25 Full-Service Airlines for 2025 in order are Air New Zealand, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways, ANA, EVA Air, Korean Air, Alaska Airlines, Turkish Airlines (THY), TAP Portugal, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, SAS, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Lufthansa/Swiss, JAL, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and United Airlines.
According to AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen, “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 continues to have a younger fleet than Qantas which separates the two.”
“The three-way tie for third place was because we simply could not separate these airlines. From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents, their scores were identical,” she continued,
Compared to last year’s list, some of the most significant changes include the inclusion of Iberia and Vietnam Airlines (which have made their list debut), as well as Korean Air’s rise into the top 10. Notable absences this year are Singapore Airlines and KLM.
Ms. Petersen emphasised that while these airlines remain exceptionally safe and retain their seven-star safety rating, they just narrowly missed out on a spot this year due to incidents that occurred.
Likewise, the Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025 in order are HK Express, 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 and Air Baltic.
Compared to last year’s list, there have been significant changes, with HK Express claiming the top spot. The airline have not had any serious incidents and maintains a relatively flawless safety record.
New additions to the list include Zipair, Jet2, and Air Baltic. A notable omission this year is Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024 to restructure its finances and reduce debt.
A recent airline safety study revealed that between 2018 and 2022, the global death risk per flight boarding was approximately one in 13.7 million. In comparison, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 1.19 million fatalities from road accidents in 2023, equating to more than two deaths per minute.
While these statistics underscore the relative safety of flying, the loss of over 200 lives in December 2024 alone significantly surpass the 72 fatalities recorded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2023. Announcements such as the World’s Safest Airlines help passengers make informed choices.
To further assist passengers in making these informed decisions, AirlineRatings, in collaboration with Skyscanner, has introduced the world’s first flight booking platform that allows users to search for flights based on safety alongside price and duration. This innovative tool is designed to enhance passenger confidence and is accessible.
(Source credit: AirlineRatings)
