World's safest airlines named as Australian darling misses out to NZ rival

Data is in on the world's safest airlines for 2025 and though Australian airlines have ranked well, they miss out on the crucial top spot.

Qantas was named second-safest airline in the world, bowing out to Oceanic rival Air New Zealand - though judges said it was "extremely close" between the two.

AirlineRatings.com's Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025 monitored 385 airlines.

Airlines were ranked by check pilots and aviation experts on their performance over the past two years, including serious incidents, fleet age, fleet size, rate of incidents, fatalities, profitability, international certifications, and pilot skill and training.

A Qantas spokesperson said: "Everyone at Qantas and Jetstar is incredibly proud of our commitment to safety, which will always be our number one priority."

"The whole aviation industry is focussed on ensuring flying remains the safest way to travel through continual learning and improvement," the spokesperson said.

There were only 1.5 points separating Air New Zealand and Qantas at the pointy end of the rankings.

"Whilst both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas which separates the two," AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen said.

Qantas and Jetstar will receive 20 new aircraft in 2025, including their first A321XLR, which is expected to arrive in Australia in April, as part of their fleet renewal.

Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates tied for third place, and Virgin Australia came in fourth.

Ms Petersen said the judges "simply could not separate" the third-place-getters: "From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents, their scores were identical."

Iberia and Vietnam Airlines made their list debut this year, and Korean Air rose to the top 10.

Singapore Airlines and KLM were notably absent. Ms Petersen said while they remain exceptionally safe and retain their seven-star safety rating, they narrowly missed out on a spot due to incidents that occurred.

Another critical judging factor is how incidents are managed. While incidents occur daily across the aviation industry, the expertise of pilots and crew often determines whether an event remains an incident or escalates into a tragedy.

"The crash of JAL Flight 516 at Haneda Airport last year exemplifies this, highlighting the importance of a highly skilled crew and adherence to procedures. The crew applied their rigorous training effectively, and passengers followed safety protocols, including leaving hand luggage behind," said AirlineRatings.com

"In less capable hands, this incident might have resulted in disaster. For us, such an incident can actually enhance an airline's safety profile."

Air New Zealand was named the world's safest airline in 2024. It well also awarded best airline and best airline food in Conde Nast UK Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards.