In the last few weeks of 2024, air travel was a huge topic of conversation and not for good reasons. A series of accidents around the world happened in quick succession, some with more devastating consequences than others. Many lives were lost in incidents that often made little to no sense. Not surprisingly, public confidence in planes as a mode of transportation was shaken. Questions about ongoing safety concerns and the maintenance of aging fleets is still on a lot of minds.
Potential passengers are becoming more safety conscious than ever. That makes ranking the safest airlines in the world a more than worthy way to spend your time. Fortunately, that's exactly what AirlineRatings.com has done once again for 2025. They take a look at a variety of factors and criteria, including pilot skill, the age of a fleet, the safety standards of the airline, and how rigorously they stick to them. In this case, walking the walk is definitely more important than talking the talk.
First place once again went to Air New Zealand with Australian airline Qantas coming in a really close second place position. The only thing separating them from a safety perspective is the relative age of their fleets, with Air New Zealand's planes being just enough newer to edge Qantas out. The only airline from the United States to break into the top ten is Alaska Airlines. Out of the 23 major, full-service airlines on the list, Delta and United landed at 21 and 23 respectively.
Serious incidents over the past two years are also a major criteria for the list. Given the spate of incidents right at the end of 2024, it's not hard to imagine that a 2025 airline safety list was impacted greatly. Regardless, this is definitely something to take into consideration when planning your next trip, particularly if you have choices in which airline will get you there.