LONDON – AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, product and COVID-19 rating website, has named Qantas as its safest airline for 2023.
AirlineRatings.com has also announced its Top Twenty Safest Airlines and Top Ten Safest Low-Cost Airlines from the 385 airlines it monitors.
Qantas – One century of operations
The Australian airline, which has just celebrated its 100th operational year, has regained the top spot in AirlineRatings.com’s Top Twenty Safest Airlines 2023 just edging out last year’s winner Air New Zealand by the finest of margins.
According to AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas: “Our Top Twenty safest airlines are all standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft.”
“In fact, the safety margins between these top twenty airlines are very small, they are all outstanding airlines,” Mr. Thomas said.
Factors considered
In making its evaluation, AirlineRatings.com takes into account a comprehensive range of factors.
These factors include serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment and fleet age.
In selecting Qantas as the world’s safest airline for 2023, AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 100-year operational history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline.*
Top 20 Safest Airlines for 2023
The Top Twenty Safest Airlines in ranking order are:
- Qantas,
- Air New Zealand,
- Etihad Airways,
- Qatar Airways,
- Singapore Airlines,
- TAP Air Portugal,
- Emirates,
- Alaska Airlines,
- EVA Air,
- Virgin Australia/Atlantic,
- Cathay Pacific Airways,
- Hawaiian Airlines,
- SAS,
- United Airlines,
- Lufthansa/Swiss Group,
- Finnair,
- British Airways,
- KLM,
- American Airlines, and
- Delta Air Lines.
Top 20 Safest Low-Cost Airlines
Responding to the public interest, the AirlineRatings.com editors also identified their Top 20 safest low-cost airlines.
These are in alphabetical order: Air Arabia, AirAsia Group** Allegiant, Air Baltic, easyjet, FlyDubai, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Indigo, Ryanair, Scoot, Southwest, Spicejet, Spirit, Vueling, Vietjet, Volaris, Westjet, and Wizz.
Unlike a number of low-cost carriers, these airlines have all passed the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and have good safety records.
Mr Thomas said the site only looked at serious incidents in making its determinations.
“All airlines have incidents every day and many are aircraft manufacture issues, not airline operational problems,’ he said.
“It is the way the flight crew handles incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one. So just lumping all incidents together is very misleading.”
* British Advertising Standards Association ruling 2008
**AirAsia, AirAsia X, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia India.
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