Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and its low-cost subsidiary HK Express rank among the world’s safest carriers, according to a report by AirlineRatings.com. The airline safety and product rating review website, which monitors 385 carriers internationally, deemed Cathay the third-safest full-service airline globally. The platform also said that HK Express has the best safety record among budget carriers.
World’s Safest Full-Service Airlines for 2025
Cathay Pacific’s No. 3 ranking makes it Asia’s safest airline for 2025. The carrier shares its position with two Middle Eastern competitors — Qatar Airways and Emirates — as they all had identical scores when it came to criteria like pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents. Air New Zealand claimed the top spot, closely followed by Qantas in second place. Several other Asian airlines also appeared on the list, with Japan-based ANA, Taiwan-headquartered EVA Air, and Korean Air figuring in the Top 10, with Vietnam Airlines (No. 22) making its debut.
RANKING | FULL-SERVICE AIRLINE(S) |
1 | Air New Zealand |
2 | Qantas |
3 | Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates |
4 | Virgin Australia |
5 | Etihad Airways |
6 | ANA |
7 | EVA Air |
8 | Korean Air |
9 | Alaska Airlines |
10 | Turkish Airlines |
11 | TAP Portugal |
12 | Hawaiian Airlines |
13 | American Airlines |
14 | SAS |
15 | British Airways |
16 | Iberia |
17 | Finnair |
18 | Lufthansa/Swiss |
19 | JAL |
20 | Air Canada |
21 | Delta Airlines |
22 | Vietnam Airlines |
23 | United Airlines |
Japan Airlines took the No. 19 spot despite one of its planes colliding with another aircraft at Haneda Airport in January 2024 because the flight’s skilled crew stuck to safety protocol. However, Singapore Airlines narrowly missed out on making the cut despite their seven-star safety rating, likely because of the accident caused by turbulence in May 2024 that resulted in the death of one passenger and injuries of 104 others.
World’s Safest Budget Airlines for 2025
HK Express unseated last year’s safest low-cost carrier Jetstar from the top spot thanks to its relatively flawless safety record and lack of serious incidents. The budget operator — which recently had the distinction of being recognised as the world’s-fastest growing airline in 2024 — also beat regional competitors like AirAsia (No. 6), VietJet (No. 8), Cebu Pacific (No. 22) and new entrant ZipAir (No. 23).
RANKING | LOW-COST AIRLINE |
1 | HK Express |
2 | Jetstar |
3 | Ryanair |
4 | easyJet |
5 | Frontier Airlines |
6 | AirAsia |
7 | Wizz Air |
8 | VietJet Air |
9 | Southwest Airlines |
10 | Volaris |
11 | flydubai |
12 | Norwegian |
13 | Vueling |
14 | Jet2 |
15 | Sun Country Airlines |
16 | WestJet |
17 | JetBlue Airways |
18 | Air Arabia |
19 | IndiGo |
20 | Eurowings |
21 | Allegiant Air |
22 | Cebu Pacific |
23 | ZipAir |
24 | SKY Airline |
25 | Air Baltic |
AirlineRatings.com considers factors like whether a carrier has had accidents or serious incidents in the preceding two years, the age and size of an airline’s fleet, and how skilled and well-trained pilots are. Airlines must also have an IOSA certification for operational safety auditing and an ICAO country audit pass to be in the running for this list.
Image credits: Cathay Pacific