Etihad is ranked the world’s safest full-service airline for 2026, while HK Express leads the low-cost list. The ranking comes from AirlineRatings.com, an independent airline-rating website—not an aviation regulator.
AirlineRatings.com assessed 320 airlines. It says the gaps at the top are very small, so travellers should not treat a lower position within either top 25 as evidence that an airline is unsafe.
Gulf carriers in the 2026 rankings
Top 25 safest full-service airlines for 2026
| Rank | Airline |
|---|---|
| 1 | Etihad |
| 2 | Cathay 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 |
| 24 | American Airlines |
| 25 | Fiji Airways |
Top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2026
| Rank | Airline |
|---|---|
| 1 | HK Express |
| 2 | Jetstar Airways |
| 3 | Scoot |
| 4 | flydubai |
| 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 |
Note: AirlineRatings.com placed flydubai in the 2026 low-cost list but says it now considers the carrier full-service and will assess it that way in future rankings.
What this means when you book
- Use the lists as a shortlist, not a guarantee. Rankings cannot predict the safety of a particular flight.
- Check who operates your flight. Codeshares may be flown by another airline.
- Do not overread small ranking gaps. AirlineRatings.com says fewer than four points separated positions 1 to 14 in the full-service list.
- Compare the practical details. Among highly rated airlines, schedule, route, baggage rules and price are usually more useful deciding factors.
- Keep your seatbelt fastened while seated. Turbulence remains a leading cause of in-flight injuries.
How safe is commercial flying?
IATA recorded 51 accidents across 38.7 million commercial flights in 2025—1.32 accidents per million flights, or about one accident per 759,646 flights.
These figures cover accidents meeting IATA’s reporting criteria; they do not mean one fatal accident occurred in every 759,646 flights.
How the ranking was compiled
AirlineRatings.com says its 2026 assessment considered incident rates adjusted for total flights, fleet age, serious incidents, pilot training, international safety audits, transparency and turbulence management. It publishes separate full-service and low-cost lists, so the two should not be combined into a single ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Which airline is ranked safest in 2026?
Etihad leads AirlineRatings.com’s 2026 full-service list. This is an independent ranking, not a regulator’s finding.
Which low-cost airline ranks first?
HK Express ranks first, followed by Jetstar Airways and Scoot.
Does a lower position mean an airline is unsafe?
No. AirlineRatings.com says every airline in either top 25 is a leading safety performer and warns against treating small ranking differences as major safety gaps.
How often is the ranking updated?
AirlineRatings.com publishes the list annually. The 2026 ranking was released on 13 January 2026.
Sources
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
