The annual safety ranking of the world's airlines by AirlineRatings.com has been released, and Air New Zealand has been named the safest full-service airline in the world for 2025 for the second year running. But how do U.S. airlines rank on the safety list? Here's what the report reveals.
International carriers ranked the highest, with Qantas coming in second followed by a three-way tie between Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates. Virgin Australia and Etihad Airways round out the top five.
Alaska Airlines takes the number nine spot, making it the only American carrier in the top 10. Hawaiian Airlines comes in at number 12, followed by American Airlines at 13, Delta at 21 and United at 23.
AirlineRatings.com evaluates safety based on factors including serious incidents over the past two years, fleet age and size, incident rates, profitability and pilot training, among others. The safest airlines demonstrate consistent excellence across the board.
The safest full-service airlines in the world for 2025
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
- ANA
- EVA Air
- Korean Air
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- TAP Portugal
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- SAS
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Finnair
- Lufthansa/Swiss
- JAL
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- United Airlines