Overview
- AirlineRatings.com evaluated 320 carriers and released Top 25 safety lists for full-service and low-cost airlines for 2026.
- Etihad topped the full-service ranking, becoming the first Gulf carrier to take the No. 1 spot, followed by Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Emirates.
- HK Express led the low-cost category, credited with a young fleet, a very low incident rate per flight and strong onboard safety audit results.
- Notable shifts include Air New Zealand dropping to sixth after leading in 2025, Singapore Airlines reentering the top 10 at seventh, and ANA falling from eighth to fourteenth.
- CEO Sharon Petersen noted that less than four points separated ranks one through fourteen and that incident rates among listed airlines ranged roughly from 0.002 to 0.09 per flight.