20 Airlines With the Best Safety Records, Ranked

Founded in 1927, Iberia has operated for decades without a fatal accident in its mainline fleet. The Spanish flag carrier relies heavily on modern Airbus A350 and A330 aircraft, implementing strict European Aviation Safety Agency protocols and advanced pilot simulator training.

Vietnam Airlines has transformed into one of the safest full-service carriers in Asia, securing top safety ratings from international aviation auditors. Its young fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s operates under rigorous IOSA maintenance standards.

British Airways flies millions of passengers across hundreds of international routes annually with an exceptional safety record. The airline pioneered advanced flight data monitoring and enforces rigorous turbulence avoidance procedures across its long-haul fleet.

Operating across challenging winter conditions in Northern Europe, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has perfected adverse-weather navigation. Its modern fleet of fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo and A350 aircraft adheres to some of the world's most demanding de-icing and runway safety regulations.

TAP Air Portugal was among the first airlines to introduce the cutting-edge Airbus A330neo, combining fuel efficiency with automated cockpit protections. The carrier has operated its modern passenger jet operations without a fatal accident since 1977.

Headquartered in Seattle, Alaska Airlines pioneered Required Navigation Performance technology, allowing pilots to land safely in low-visibility mountainous terrain. The airline routinely ranks among the safest domestic carriers in the United States.

All Nippon Airways has maintained a fatal accident-free record for over five decades. The Tokyo-based carrier was the launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and continues to uphold world-leading engineering inspections at its Haneda maintenance facilities.

Founded by Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic has transported over 100 million passengers across forty years without a fatal crash. The airline operates one of the youngest long-haul fleets in Europe, consisting exclusively of Airbus A350s, A330neos, and Boeing 787s.

Based at Istanbul's mega-hub airport, Turkish Airlines operates one of the world's largest commercial fleets. Heavy investments in next-generation Boeing and Airbus aircraft, paired with high-tech pilot flight simulation complexes, have pushed its safety benchmarks to global highs.

Founded in 2018 by commercial pilot and former EVA Air chairman Chang Kuo-wei, STARLUX Airlines was built with safety-first engineering. Operating an ultra-modern all-Airbus fleet, the carrier debuted straight into the top tier of global safety rankings.

Following major restructuring in the late 1990s with help from global aviation experts, Korean Air instituted a gold-standard safety and cockpit communication culture. Today, it ranks among Asia's most dependable long-haul airlines with a spotless modern safety record.

Virgin Australia flies extensive domestic and regional routes with a 100% fatal-accident-free safety record. The Brisbane-based airline maintains its fleet under Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, known as one of the world's most stringent aviation regulators.

Since launching passenger flights in 1991, Taipei-based EVA Air has maintained a flawless safety record with zero fatal crashes. The airline frequently places in the global top ten thanks to comprehensive aircraft maintenance protocols and continuous cockpit telemetry audits.

Singapore Airlines operates one of the youngest passenger fleets in the world, regularly retiring older aircraft in favor of new Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 models. Its comprehensive pilot recurrent training program serves as a benchmark for carriers across Asia.

Air New Zealand is widely praised for operating in complex alpine weather and ocean winds across the Southern Hemisphere. The Kiwi flag carrier was named the world's safest airline multiple times by AirlineRatings due to its transparent safety culture and pilot proficiency.

Operating the world's largest fleets of Airbus A380 superjumbos and Boeing 777s, Emirates connects millions across continents with an outstanding safety track record. The airline invests hundreds of millions annually in its state-of-the-art pilot training facility in Dubai.

In 2003, Qatar Airways became the very first carrier globally to achieve 100% compliance on IATA's initial Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Operating an ultra-young fleet of over 250 wide-body aircraft, Qatar Airways consistently scores near-perfect across all safety metrics.

Founded in the Australian outback in 1920, Qantas is the world's oldest continuously operating airline. It famously holds a record of zero fatal accidents in the jet airliner era, pioneering early cockpit crew resource management and real-time aircraft engine data monitoring.

Cathay Pacific operates long-haul passenger and cargo flights through some of the busiest skies in Asia. With zero fatal incidents in over five decades of jet operations, the carrier is renowned for its veteran pilot corps and rigorous base maintenance at Hong Kong International Airport.

Taking the number one spot on the global safety list, Etihad Airways has operated since its 2003 founding with zero fatal crashes. Operating one of the youngest and most technologically advanced fleets in the skies, Etihad scored top marks for incident prevention and pilot training.