6 hours ago
Air New Zealand has been named the world's safest airline for 2025 by AirlineRatings.com, beating Qantas due to its younger fleet. Alaska Airlines ranked ninth as the highest-rated U.S. carrier.
Alaska Airlines ranks highest among US carriers in safety. (Picture source: alaskaair.com)
UPDATED: Jan 18, 2025 01:17 IST
Air New Zealand has been named the safest airline in the world for 2025, according to AirlineRatings.com. The airline, which operates one of the longest regularly scheduled flights globally, offers a direct route between Auckland and New York's JFK Airport, covering a distance of 8,828 miles in 16 hours and 15 minutes.
“It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines,” said Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com. While both carriers maintain high safety standards and exceptional pilot training, Air New Zealand’s younger fleet ultimately gave it the edge over Australia’s Qantas.
AirlineRatings.com, a website known for its safety and product ratings, evaluates airlines based on serious incidents, management of incidents, fleet age, size, fatalities, pilot training and more. The website’s rankings for 2025 include a list of 25 airlines out of 385 it monitors globally. Alaska Airlines, ranked ninth, was the highest-rated US carrier, despite a high-profile incident in 2024 when a door opened mid-flight on Flight 1282. Airline experts attributed the incident to manufacturing defects in the Boeing aircraft, not the airline’s operational standards.
The top 10 airlines for 2025 include:
Air New Zealand Qantas Cathay Pacific Qatar Airways Emirates Virgin Australia Etihad Airways ANA Alaska Airlines EVA AirHawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, and United also made the list, but with United ranked at the bottom. Experts also noted that Singapore Airlines, despite its long-haul reputation, was excluded from the rankings due to certain incidents. Iberia and Vietnam Airlines were added this year.
In the low-cost carrier rankings, Hong Kong Express was named the safest airline, followed by Jetstar, Ryanair, and easyJet. AirlineRatings.com commended Hong Kong Express for its “relatively flawless safety record.” Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2024, did not make the list.
The full list of safest low-cost airlines for 2025 is as follows:
Hong Kong Express Jetstar Group Ryanair easyJet Frontier Airlines AirAsia Wizz Air VietJet Air Southwest Airlines VolarisDespite challenges, Alaska Airlines continues to be recognized for its commitment to safety and service.
Published By:
indiatodayglobal
Published On:
Jan 18, 2025
