Sure, we all love to moan about flight delays, lost luggage, cramped seats and questionable onboard meals – but at the end of the day, the most important part of any flight is making sure your plane stays in the air. Lucky for us Aussies, we’re in safe hands. A global ranking of the safest airlines for 2025 has been released, and two Australian carriers have soared into the top ten.
Every year, AirlineRatings.com evaluates hundreds of airlines based on safety criteria, including fleet age and size, incident rates, fatalities, profitability and pilot training. In 2025, the site analysed 385 airlines before unveiling its list of the world’s top 25 safest airlines, divided into full-service and low-cost operators.
With just 1.5 points separating first and second place, Air New Zealand clinched the title of the world’s safest airline for 2025. Australia’s very own Qantas took the runner-up spot, narrowly missing out on the win due to its older fleet. This marks another victory for Air New Zealand, which also topped the rankings in 2024 and 2022, while Qantas proudly held the title in 2023.
Third place was a three-way tie between Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates. Meanwhile, Virgin Australia represented as the only other Aussie airline to make the top 25. It landed in an impressive fourth place, slipping only one position from its 2024 ranking.
In the low-cost airlines category, Qantas-owned Jetstar also just missed out on the win, ranking second behind Hong Kong Express. Look, Jetstar might not be everyone’s top pick, but at least they’ll get you from A to B in one piece. Just ensure you're not flying to one of these hazardous destinations that Australians are being warned to avoid right now.
These are the world’s 10 safest full-service airlines for 2025:
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
- ANA
- EVA Air
- Korean Air
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
These are the world’s 10 safest budget airlines for 2025:
- Hong Kong Express
- Jetstar Group
- Ryanair
- easyJet
- Frontier Airlines
- AirAsia
- Wizz Air
- VietJet Air
- Southwest Airlines
- Volaris