No Indian airline in world's safest list; one makes it to low-cost rankings

For nervous fliers who grip their armrests at every bump, the reassurance that air travel is the safest mode of transportation often falls flat. While no ranking can eliminate in-flight jitters, the annual list of the world’s safest airlines from Airline Ratings offers a helpful guide for those seeking extra peace of mind in the skies.

Annually, aviation experts from the site evaluate nearly 400 airlines based on various safety criteria, including serious incidents over the past two years, overall incident rates, recent fatal accidents, regulatory audits, fleet age and size, pilot training standards, and financial stability.

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That last category might sound irrelevant, but “financial instability within an airline can lead to significant operational challenges, automatically disqualifying it as a candidate” for the list, according to Airline Ratings CEO Sharon Petersen.

25 safest low-cost airlines

Airline Ratings’ report analyzes the safety credentials of low-cost carriers around the world, an aviation category which gets its own annual list. This year, IndiGo secured the 19th spot on the list.

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Five budget carriers from the US were included in the top 25: Frontier (number 5), Southwest (9), Sun Country (15), JetBlue (17), and Allegiant Air (21), which made the list again after being cut in 2024. Spirit Airlines, which has consistently ranked on the list for several years, was left off of the 2025 edition due to its recent bankruptcy filing.

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The first place low-cost ranking went to Hong Kong Express, a newcomer debuting on this year’s list. The fast-growing airline, which is a subsidiary of Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific, hasn’t “had any serious incidents and maintains a relatively flawless safety record,” according to Airline Ratings. Other newbies joining the ranks this year are Japanese carrier Zipair (23), UK airline Jet2 (14), and Latvian carrier Air Baltic (25).

1. Hong Kong Express
2. Jetstar Group
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

Top 25 safest airlines in the world

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 (THY)
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