Etihad and HK Express named world’s safest airlines for 2026 by AirlineRatings.com

AirlineRatings.com, the only dedicated airline safety and product rating platform, has announced its annual Top 25 Safest Full-Service and Low-Cost Airlines for 2026, assessing over 320 carriers globally.

This year’s lists spotlight exceptionally narrow margins in airline safety performance, with Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com, cautioning against over-interpreting small score differentials.

Petersen noted, “Less than four points separated positions one through 14, and only 1.3 points divided the top six full-service airlines. All airlines in the Top 25 are leaders in aviation safety, and claims that one is vastly safer than another are misleading.”

Etihad ranks first among full-service airlines

Etihad was ranked the world’s safest full-service airline for 2026—the first time a Gulf-based carrier has secured the top spot. According to AirlineRatings.com, the airline excelled in several key metrics: a young fleet, a crash-free operational history, the industry’s lowest incident rate per flight, and robust turbulence management practices.

Etihad also participated in AirlineRatings.com’s independent onboard safety audit, scoring highly across all evaluated areas. Petersen highlighted the airline’s advancements in cockpit safety, particularly relating to turbulence mitigation, as contributing factors in its rise.

The rest of the top 10 includes Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Virgin Australia and Korean Air.

Other notable developments include the first-time inclusion of STARLUX and Fiji Airways. Petersen explained, “While STARLUX is relatively young, its transparent approach to safety and its recognition by industry peers justified its inclusion.”

Singapore Airlines returned to the list after being excluded in 2025 following a turbulence-related incident. Petersen confirmed that, after visiting the airline’s safety and training centre and conducting thorough operational discussions, the site was satisfied with the airline’s safety improvements.

HK Express leads low-cost airline rankings

In the low-cost category, HK Express was named the safest for the second time, praised for its modern fleet, low incident rate, and near-perfect onboard safety audit results.

Petersen remarked that Hong Kong’s stringent incident reporting requirements lent additional credibility to the airline’s high safety standards, calling it “a highly disciplined and well-run operation.”

Other top low-cost airlines include Jetstar Airways, Scoot, EasyJet Group, Southwest Airlines, and airBaltic, which made a significant leap into the top 10 for 2026.

Notably, Spring Airlines China became the first Chinese airline to be featured in any of AirlineRatings.com’s rankings.

Flydubai, previously classified as low-cost, is now regarded as a full-service airline and will be assessed accordingly in future reports.

Refined safety methodology and sector-wide excellence

Petersen explained that the rankings are based on consistent criteria, including incident rates adjusted for flight volumes, fleet age, pilot training, and international safety audits.

New for 2026 is greater weighting for turbulence prevention, reflecting its status as the leading cause of in-flight injuries. Airline participation in IATA’s Turbulence Aware programme and results from the AirlineRatings.com onboard audit were included in the evaluation.

Transparency from airlines was also cited as a critical factor.

Despite incidents—ranging from tail strikes to engine shutdowns—being recorded across all airlines on the list, Petersen noted that actual incident rates remained exceptionally low, between 0.002 and 0.09 per flight.

“These numbers are a testament to the industry’s maturity and its emphasis on safety culture, adaptation, and effective risk management,” she said.

The top 25 full-service airlines for 2026

1. Etihad

2. Cathay Pacific

3. Qantas

4. Qatar

5. Emirates

6. Air New Zealand

7. Singapore Airlines

8. EVA Air

9. Virgin Australia

10. Korean Air

11. STARLUX

12. Turkish Airlines

13. Virgin Atlantic

14. ANA

15. Alaska Airlines

16. TAP Air Portugal

17. SAS

18. British Airways

19. Vietnam Airlines

20. Iberia

21. Lufthansa

22. Air Canada

23. Delta

24. American Airlines

25. Fiji Airways

The top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2026

1. HK Express

2. Jetstar Airways

3. Scoot

4. flydubai (Now considered a full-service airline and will be assessed accordingly in future publications.)

5. EasyJet Group

6. Southwest

7. airBaltic

8. VietJet Air

9. 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