Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Dubai’s Emirates has secured a joint third spot on the 2025 list of the world’s safest full-service airlines, according to a recent survey from AirlineRatings.com. Emirates tied with Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways in the latest survey by the airline safety rating website. “The three-way tie for third place was because we simply could not separate these airlines. From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents, their scores were identical,” said AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen. UAE’s flag carrier Etihad Airways followed closely, ranking fifth, reinforcing the country’s stronghold in aviation safety. The report also recognized flydubai and Air Arabia among the 25 safest low-cost carriers worldwide, cementing the UAE’s reputation as a hub for secure air travel across all segments. New Zealand’s flag carrier, Air New Zealand, and Australia’s Qantas claimed the top two spots for full-service airlines, while Virgin Australia ranked fourth. The website monitors a total of 385 full-service and budget carriers. Compared to last year’s list, some of the most significant changes include the inclusion of Iberia and Vietnam Airlines and Korean Air’s rise into the top 10. Notable absences this year are Singapore Airlines and KLM. Sharon said that while these airlines remain exceptionally safe and retain their seven-star safety rating, they just narrowly missed out on a spot this year due to incidents that occurred. AirlineRatings.com explained that the world’s safest airlines are determined through various measures, including serious incidents over the past two years, fleet age and size, incident rates, fatalities, profitability, IOSA certification, ICAO audit compliance, and pilot training. Factors like financial instability and fault in crashes automatically disqualify an airline, while how incidents are handled can enhance a safety profile, as seen in the JAL Flight 516 case. Manufacturing issues also contribute to incidents, such as the recent cabin depressurization on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which was attributed to Boeing’s quality control lapses.

Top 25 full-service airlines for 2025

1. Air New Zealand 2. Qantas 3. Cathay Pacific; Qatar Airways; Emirates 4. Virgin Australia 5. Etihad Airways 6. ANA 7. EVA Air 8. Korean Air 9. Alaska Airlines 10. Turkish Airlines (THY) 11. TAP Portugal 12. Hawaiian Airlines 13. American Airlines 14. SAS 15. British Airways 16. Iberia 17. Finnair 18. Lufthansa/Swiss 19. JAL 20. Air Canada 21. Delta Airlines 22. Vietnam Airlines 23. United Airlines

Top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2025

1. Hong Kong Express 2. Jetstar Group 3. Ryanair 4. easyJet 5. Frontier Airlines 6. AirAsia 7. Wizz Air 8. VietJet Air 9. Southwest Airlines 10. Volaris 11. flydubai 12. Norwegian 13. Vueling 14. Jet2 15. Sun Country Airlines 16. WestJet 17. JetBlue Airways 18. Air Arabia 19. IndiGo 20. Eurowings 21. Allegiant Air 22. Cebu Pacific 23. ZipAir 24. SKY Airline 25. Air Baltic
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