In order to reduce risk, airlines make significant investments in technology, training, and operational standards, making airline safety one of the most widely watched aspects of international travel. After evaluating 320 carriers globally, the aviation safety and product review website AirlineRatings.com has published its yearly ranking of the top 25 safest full-service airlines and top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2026. Travelers can see more clearly which airlines continuously invest in the greatest levels of safety thanks to annual safety audits.
The Ranking of the Safest Airlines
The factors include an airline’s total number of flights, average fleet age, severe safety events, pilot training requirements, and results of international safety audits, according to Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com. Increased attention on turbulence prevention, which Petersen states continues to be the primary cause of in-flight injuries, is a significant update for 2026. Additionally, she warned against misinterpreting the variations among the top 25 carriers, stating that they are all “world leaders in aviation safety.”
Tops from Etihad The Full-Service Airline List for 2026
The top rank has been occupied by a Gulf carrier for the first time. The safest full-service airline in the world for 2026 is Etihad Airways. According to Petersen, the airline’s youthful fleet, advancements in cockpit safety, particularly with regard to turbulence, a crash-free record, and the lowest incident rate per flight among the Top 25 all contributed to this achievement.
The top 25 safest full-service airlines for 2026 are listed below:
1. Â Etihad
2. Â Cathay Pacific
3. Â Qantas
4. Â Qatar Airways
5. Â Emirates
6. Â Air New Zealand
7. Â Singapore Airlines
8. Â EVA Air
9. Â Virgin Australia
10. Korean Air
11. STARLUX Airlines
12. Turkish Airlines
13. Virgin Atlantic
14. ANA (All Nippon Airways)
15. Alaska Airlines
16. TAP Air Portugal
17. SAS
18. British Airways
19. Vietnam Airlines
20. Iberia
21. Lufthansa
22. Air Canada
23. Delta Air Lines
24. American Airlines
25. Fiji Airways
These Are 2026’s Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines:
Additionally, AirlineRatings.com disclosed their yearly list of the safest low-cost airlines. Flydubai, which was formerly classified as a low-cost airline, has changed to a full-service model and will be evaluated appropriately in next editions.
1. Â HK Express
2. Â Jetstar Airways
3. Â Scoot
4. Â flydubai (Now considered full-service)
5. Â EasyJet Group
6. Â Southwest
7. Â airBaltic
8. Â VietJet Air
9. Â Wizz Air Group
10. AirAsia Group
11. TUI UK
12. Vueling
13. Norwegian
14. JetBlue
15. FlyNAS
16. Cebu Pacific
17. Jet2
18. Ryanair (Ireland and UK)
19. Spring Airlines China
20. Transavia Group
21. Eurowings Group
22. Volaris
23. WestJet Group
24. GOL
25. SKY Airline Chile
Additionally, AirlineRatings.com disclosed their yearly list of the safest low-cost airlines. Flydubai, which was formerly classified as a low-cost airline, has changed to a full-service model and will be evaluated appropriately in next editions.
