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AIR TRAVEL safety rating site, AirlineRatings.com, has released a list of the world’s safest airlines in 2025. New Zealand’s Air New Zealand has once again taken the top spot as the safest airline for travelers.
As reported by Forbes, AirlineRatings.com evaluated 385 airlines worldwide using various criteria to determine the list of the world’s safest airlines.
They looked at fatal accidents, audits by aviation regulators, safety initiatives, fleet age and more. Another important factor is how the airline handled the incident.
However, the report does not include things like bird collisions, which are suspected to have triggered the Jeju Air accident, injuries due to turbulence, and bad weather. This is because airlines have no control over these factors.
World’s safest airline in 2025
As a result, Air New Zealand is once again the world’s safest airline, having previously won the title in 2024 and 2022.
AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen said Air New Zealand has the best safety record of any airline in the world.
“Air New Zealand has an excellent safety record, with no serious incidents or accidents in the modern jet era. The airline regularly operates in challenging conditions, including Queenstown, which is one of the most challenging airports due to its high mountains and strong air currents,” Petersen said.
Another reason the airline is the safest is the availability of adequate training facilities for pilots to deal with some pretty challenging terrain.
“Pilots undergo rigorous simulator training to master different terrains. Also, Wellington, which is known for its strong winds, requires exceptional pilot skills,” says Petersen.
Air New Zealand is not the only safest airline in the world in 2025. Australia’s Qantas is the second safest airline in the world.
Petersen said the difference in scores between the two is small when you look at the safety aspects that are assessed.
“The competition for first place is tight between Air New Zealand and Qantas, with a difference of only 1.50 points. However, Qantas has had several recent incidents which ultimately made the difference,” he said.
Meanwhile, the closest competition between the two airlines in terms of safety is the age of the fleet. Air New Zealand has a modern and relatively young fleet, with an average aircraft age of 10.4 years, giving it a slight advantage over Qantas in this regard.
Interestingly, in this year’s list, the fight for third place is very fierce, with Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airways in the same position.
Here is a list of the safest full-service airlines in the world in 2025:
(1). Air New Zealand, (2). Qantas, (3). Cathay Pacific, (4). Emirates, (5). Qatar Airways, (6). Virgin Australia, (7). Etihad Airways, (8). ANA, (9). EVA Water, (10). Korean Air, (11). Alaska Airlines, (12). Turkish Airlines, (13). TAP Portugal, (14). Hawaiian Airlines, (15). American Airlines, (16). SAS, (17). British Airways, (18). Iberia, (19). Finnair, (20). Lufthansa/Switzerland, (21). JAL, (22). Air Canada, (23). Delta Air Lines, (24). Vietnam Airlines, (25). United Airlines. [source/photo special]
