Qantas regains top spot for safest airline in 2023

Qantas has been named the leading airline for one key thing, beating out Air New Zealand for the top spot.

Qantas has reason to celebrate after a horror few years after being named the world’s safest airline for 2023.

The Australian airline has regained AirlineRatings.com’s top spot for safety, beating last year’s winner Air New Zealand by “the finest of margins”.

The website takes into account serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, profitability, safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment and fleet age.

Qantas has beat Air New Zealand to regain the world’s safest airline title. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Qantas has long reigned as the world’s safest airline before it was stripped of its title by Air New Zealand in 2022.

It held the title from 2014 to 2017 as well as from 2019 to 2021, with no clear winner found in 2018.

Air New Zealand was knocked down into second place, followed by Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

“Our Top Twenty safest airlines are all standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft,” AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said.

“In fact, the safety margins between these top twenty airlines are very small, they are all outstanding airlines.”

Top 20 safest airlines

1. Qantas
2. Air New Zealand
3. Etihad Airways
4. Qatar Airways
5. Singapore Airlines
6. TAP Air Portugal
7. Emirates
8. Alaska Airlines
9. EVA Air
10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
11. Cathay Pacific Airways
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. SAS
14. United Airlines
15. Lufthansa/Swiss Group
16. Finnair
17. British Airways
18. KLM
19. American Airlines
20. Delta Airlines

Jet Star managed to claim one of the top 20 spots for safest budget airline. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The ranking site also listed for the first time the safest budget carriers from the 385 airlines that it monitors after the public asked for it.

Shared in alphabetical order, Australia’s Jetstar also made the list.

Top 20 safest low-cost airlines for 2023:

• Air Arabia
• AirAsia Group (including. AirAsia, AirAsia X, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia India)
• Allegiant
• Air Baltic
• easyJet
• FlyDubai
• Frontier
• Jetstar Group
• Jetblue
• Indigo
• Ryanair
• Scoot
• Southwest
• Spicejet
• Spirit
• Vueling
• Vietjet
• Volaris
• WestJet
• Wizz