Reclaiming number one spot this year for overall safest airlines is Australia's flagship carrier, Qantas, followed by Air New Zealand. Middle Eastern-based carriers, with a reputation for luxury - Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways - take third and fourth spot and Singapore Airlines came in fifth place.
According to the AirAdvisor Airline Safety Score, Allegiant, American, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit Airlines are all the safest. Each had a perfect accident record in 2023 and 2024 with no reported incidents based on data from IATA.
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Qantas: The Australian flag carrier consistently ranks among the safest airlines globally, boasting a long history of safety and operational excellence. Cathay Pacific / Qatar Airways / Emirates (Three-way tie): These three airlines were jointly recognized for their exceptional safety records.
When including ground fatalities, American Airlines holds this distinction, with the 2001 crashes of Flight 11 and Flight 77 on 11 September, and Flight 587 on 12 November, with a combined total of approximately 2,000 deaths, including 416 people on the three aircraft.
Qantas has topped the world's safest airlines ranking for 2025 according to 42kft.com, a safety, environment, and product-focused airline ranking platform. Out of 142 carriers analysed – covering 85 per cent of global air traffic – Qantas Airways was crowned the world's safest airline.
6 ASEAN Airlines Ranked as the World's Best Airlines in 2026 The 10 Best Airlines in the World in 2025, as Voted by Passengers Worldwide, are: 1. Qatar Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. Cathay Pacific 4.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has been flying planes since 1929 and never once had a fatal accident, making it, if our stats stand up, the longest functioning carrier to have never lost a passenger. It may have suffered two bankruptcies (1993 and 2003) but it has not compromised on safety.
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Boeing and Airbus planes are equally safe
It's partly because Boeing operates notably more flights than Airbus does, so in terms of sheer numbers, Boeing has more accidents. It should be noted that the Jalopnik report adjusts the data for the number of flights to more fairly compare the two manufacturers' records.
Adjusted for scale, its safety record is better than many early jets. For example, the de Havilland Comet had a far higher crash rate relative to its limited production due to early structural failures. In terms of absolute numbers, the 737 leads, but percentage-wise, the Comet remains the most accident-prone.
Unfortunately, Frontier Airlines takes the top spot as the least reliable airline in the U.S. with a total score of 79.92 out of 100.
– Data suggests that sitting in the middle of a row is the safest place to be. Is the seat located at the front or the back of the aircraft? – A seat in economy would be the safest place in the extremely rare event of a crash since the rear of the plane is less likely to be the first impact.
Hawaiian Airlines – Founded in 1929, never had a fatal accident. EVA Air (Taiwan) – No hull-loss or passenger fatalities since inception in 1989. Virgin Australia & Virgin Atlantic – Both have zero fatal crashes in their histories.
The ten airlines they deem to be five-star rated are:
QANTAS VOTED AUSTRALIA'S FAVOURITE AIRLINE.
Air New Zealand has been named the world's safest airline for 2025, narrowly beating Qantas by just 1.5 points, according to AirlineRatings.com's annual review of 385 carriers.
Qantas has been crowned the world's safest airline, with its pilots considered the best trained, most disciplined and most professional in the industry. In a study conducted by 42kft.com and analysing 142 airline carriers across the globe, Qantas was named the leader for airline safety.
If you're looking for the most reliable airline in 2025, that title is awarded to Hawaiian Airlines. This carrier ousted Delta Air Lines, which was on top in both 2023 and 2024. So, it's good news if your next flight is with Hawaiian.
Fatal U.S. aviation accidents, 2021-25
There have been 13 fatal accidents in 2025, compared to 31 in 2024. There were 257 total fatal accidents in 2024, 320 in both 2023 and 2021, and 243 in 2022. There've been 13 fatal accidents so far in 2025, compared to 31 in 2024.
1. What exactly does the Qantas 72-hour rule mean? The Qantas 72-hour rule generally refers to the recommended timeframe for passengers to confirm or update essential travel information at least 72 hours before departure.
Qantas' last fatality was in 1951 when a Drover prop aircraft crashed in PNG. Qantas started operating jets in 1959 and has never had a fatal accident since then.