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Top 2025 Safest Airlines: Full-Service & Budget List

By Tech OutstandersPUBLISHED: June 25, 21:10UPDATED: June 25, 21:17
Air New Zealand aircraft on runway with safety badge for 2025

AirlineRatings.com has released its 2025 rankings of the world’s safest airlines. Air New Zealand claimed the top spot among full-service carriers, narrowly ahead of Qantas, which trailed by just 1.5 points. Tied for third place were Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Emirates, followed by Virgin Australia and Etihad Airways rounding out the top five.

In the low-cost category, HK Express emerged as the safest budget airline, with Jetstar Group, Ryanair, easyJet, and Frontier Airlines following closely behind. Notable first appearances on the full-service list include Iberia and Vietnam Airlines, while long-standing carriers Singapore Airlines and KLM missed out due to recent safety incidents.

AirlineRatings evaluates airlines using several criteria, including incident history, fleet age, pilot training, safety audits (IOSA and ICAO), and financial health. The ranking underscores that air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation globally.

Choose airlines like Air New Zealand or HK Express for a trusted, secure travel experience.