World’s Safest Airlines for 2026: A Gulf Airline Tops the Ranking for First Time

Global aviation safety is entering a new phase of maturity. This is reflected in the World’s Safest Airlines 2026 ranking, published by AirlineRatings.com, a specialized site that combines assessments of operational safety and product on a global scale. After analyzing 320 airlines, the report reveals minimal margins among the leaders, structural changes in the methodological focus, and a historic fact: for the first time, a Gulf airline occupies the top spot in the full-service category.

An Elite Separated by Tenths: The End of Rigid Hierarchies

Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com, is clear in her diagnosis: the difference between the world’s safest airlines has never been so narrow.

According to the report, less than four points separate positions 1 to 14 in the full-service airline category. At the top, the margin is even tighter: just 1.3 points between first and sixth place. This scenario leads AirlineRatings itself to warn that traditional rankings can be misleading and that, in the future, classification by “tiers” or performance groups might better reflect operational reality.

The message is clear: all airlines in the Top 25 are global leaders in safety, and suggesting significant differences between them would be, in Petersen’s words, “sensationalist and false.”

2026 Methodology: Same Rigor, New Focus on Turbulence

The methodological core of the ranking remains consistent year after year, evaluating:

• Incident rate adjusted for total number of flights

• Average fleet age

• Recorded serious incidents

• Pilot training

• International safety audits

However, 2026 introduces a key change: greater weight given to turbulence prevention, currently the main cause of onboard injuries.

To this end, AirlineRatings considers:

• Participation in the IATA Turbulence Aware program (or equivalent)

• Results of independent onboard safety audits

• Level of operational transparency of each airline

This adjustment reflects an evolution in the concept of safety: it’s no longer just about avoiding accidents, but about managing everyday risks across millions of flights.

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Top 25 Full-Service (Full-Service) Airlines for 2026

The ranking of traditional airlines presents relevant changes and several confirmations:

1. Etihad
2. C.athay Pacific
3. Qantas
4. Qatar Airways
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 Air Lines
24. American Airlines
25. Fiji Airways

Etihad: New Standard in Global Safety

Etihad Airways’ arrival in first place marks a milestone. According to AirlineRatings, the Abu Dhabi-based airline achieves this result thanks to a precise combination of factors:

• Young fleet

• Advances in cabin and cockpit safety, especially regarding turbulence

• Accident-free history

• Lowest incident rate per flight in the entire ranking

• Active participation in independent onboard safety audits

• Excellent cabin turbulence management

It is the first time a Gulf airline has led this ranking, reflecting the operational maturity achieved by the region.

Key Debuts and Returns

The 2026 ranking also stands out for its movements:

• STARLUX debuts in the Top 25, despite being a relatively young airline. AirlineRatings recognizes its exceptional focus on safety and transparency, as well as the respect it garners from other leading airlines.

• Fiji Airways also enters for the first time.

• Singapore Airlines returns to the list after being excluded in 2025 due to a serious incident related to turbulence. After audits, visits to its training center, and discussions with its operational team, AirlineRatings considers that the airline has adequately reinforced its standards.

World’s Safest Low-Cost Carriers: Operational Discipline as a Competitive Advantage

The low-cost segment confirms that efficiency and safety are not opposing concepts.

Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines of 2026

1. HK Express
2. Jetstar Airways
3. Scoot
4. flydubai (now considered full-service in future evaluations)
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

HK Express and China’s Historic Entry

HK Express retains the first place for the second consecutive year, driven by:

• Modern fleet

• Exceptionally low incident rate

• Near-perfect onboard safety audit

AirlineRatings emphasizes that, given Hong Kong’s strict incident reporting system, these results reflect a highly disciplined operation.

Another highlight is the entry of Spring Airlines China, the first Chinese airline to appear in any of the site’s rankings, as well as the significant rise of airBaltic into the Top 10.

An Industry Safer Than Ever, Though Not Free of Incidents

A key piece of data from the report provides the right context: all airlines in the Top 25 recorded incidents in the last two years, from tail strikes to onboard fires or engine shutdowns.

The difference lies in the scale.

The real incident rate per flight ranges between 0.002 and 0.09, figures that AirlineRatings considers a collective credit for the global airline industry.

In modern aviation, where serious accidents are exceptional, safety is defined by consistency, organizational culture, adaptability, and effective risk management across millions of flights.

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