The top 20 safest airlines in the world for 2023, according to experts
- AirlineRatings.com has revealed the 20 safest airlines in the world for 2023, which includes five from the US.
- Australia-based Qantas stole the top spot from Air New Zealand this year, but by a very thin margin.
AirlineRatings.com, a trusted source for carrier safety rankings and product reviews, has once again revealed its annual list of safest airlines in the world for 2023.
The organization's yearly report highlights the standout airlines that "are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft," according to AirlineRatings editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas. He also noted that the safety margins between the top 20 carriers were "very small," and that they are "all outstanding airlines."
This year, Australian flag carrier Qantas stole the crown from Air New Zealand after falling short in 2022. Meanwhile, the same five US carriers that made the list last year — Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines — maintained their spots in 2023.
Qantas has a history dating back over 100 years, with the last fatal accident occurring in 1951. Since then, the carrier has been a leading example of safety in the worldwide aviation industry, having never suffered a loss of one of its jet-powered aircraft.
To determine the cream of the crop carriers, AirlineRatings analyzes several factors, including crashes over the last five years, serious incidents over the past two years, audits from governing bodies, airline fleet age, pilot training assessments, COVID procedures, carrier profitability, and safety initiatives.
"However all airlines have incidents every day, and many are aircraft or engine manufacture issues, not airline operational problems," Thomas said. "It is the way the flight crew handles these incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one."
The organization also published the world's 20 safest low-cost carriers, which included five US carriers — Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.
AirlineRatings doesn't list the budget carriers in ranked order, but it does for the major airlines —take a closer look at the top 20 safety mainline carriers in the world for 2023.
20. Delta Air Lines
Country: US
Average Fleet Age: 14.7 years
2022 Ranking: 18
19. American Airlines
Country: US
Average Fleet Age: 12.4 years
2022 Ranking: 13
18. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Country: Netherlands
Average Fleet Age: 13.1 years
2022 Ranking: 16
17. British Airways
Country: UK
Average Fleet Age: 13.6 years
2022 Ranking: 17
16. Finnair
Country: Finland
Average Fleet Age: 12.4 years
2022 Ranking: 15
15. Lufthansa/Swiss Group
Country: Germany
Average Fleet Age: 13 years
2022 Ranking: 14
14. United Airlines
Country: US
Average Fleet Age: 16.8 years
2022 Ranking: 19
13. Scandinavian Airlines
Country: Sweden
Average Fleet Age: 8.9 years
2022 Ranking: 6
12. Hawaiian Airlines
Country: US
Average Fleet Age: 11.5 years
2022 Ranking: 12
11. Cathay Pacific Airways
Country: Hong Kong
Average Fleet Age: 10.5 years
2022 Ranking: 11
10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
Country: Australia/UK
Average Fleet Age: 23.4/6.8 years
2022 Ranking: 10
9. EVA Air
Country: Taiwan
Average Fleet Age: 8 years
2022 Ranking: 9
8. Alaska Airlines
Country: US
Average Fleet Age: 9 years
2022 Ranking: 8
7. Emirates
Country: UAE
Average Fleet Age: 9.2 years
2022 Ranking: 20
6. TAP Air Portugal
Country: Portugal
Average Fleet Age: 9 years
2022 Ranking: 5
5. Singapore Airlines
Country: Singapore
Average Fleet Age: 7.1 years
2022 Ranking: 4
4. Qatar Airways
Country: Qatar
Average Fleet Age: 8.2 years
2022 Ranking: 3
3. Etihad Airways
Country: UAE
Average Fleet Age: 7.1 years
2022 Ranking: 2
2. Air New Zealand
Country: New Zealand
Average Fleet Age: 8.7 years
2022 Ranking: 1
1. Qantas
Country: Australia
Average Fleet Age: 14 years
2022 Ranking: 7