AirlineRatings.com the world’s only safety, and product rating website, has named Air New Zealand as its safest airline for 2024.*

Air New Zealand has gained the top spot from last year’s winner Qantas by the narrowest of margins.

According to AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas: “Our Top Twenty-Five Safest Airlines are all standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft.”

“The safety margins between these top twenty-five airlines are very small,” Mr. Thomas said.

“Between Air New Zealand and Qantas, there are only 1.5 points, it’s incredibly close.”

On Air New Zealand's win, Mr Thomas said that the airline has won countless awards and has a firm focus on safety and its customers and has excelled across the broad safety spectrum never losing sight of the smallest detail."

“The airline operates in some of the most challenging weather environments which test pilot skills.”

“For instance, Wellington is one of the most windy airports in the world, while Queenstown is a huge navigation challenge,” Mr Thomas said.

In making its evaluation, AirlineRatings.com takes into account a comprehensive range of factors that include serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment and fleet age.

However, the evaluation leaves out such things as bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions and lightning strikes as the airline has no control over such events.

In selecting Air New Zealand as the world’s safest airline for 2024, AirlineRatings.com editors noted that the airline has a firm focus on safety and has excelled across the broad safety spectrum right down to the smallest detail.

TOP 25 SAFEST AIRLINES FOR 2024*

The Top Twenty Safest Airlines in ranking are Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Finnair, Cathay Pacific Airways, Alaska Airlines, SAS, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Lufthansa/Swiss Group, KLM, Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Air France, Air Canada Group and United Airlines.

TOP 20 SAFEST LOW-COST AIRLINES FOR 2024*

The Top Twenty low-cost airlines for 2024 are Jetstar, easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Norwegian, Frontier, Vueling, Vietjet, Southwest, Volaris, flydubai, AirAsia Group **, Cebu Pacific, Sun Country, Spirit, Westjet, JetBlue, Air Arabia, Indigo and Eurowings.

“These airlines all have an excellent safety culture and low incident rates,“ Mr Thomas said.

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*From airlines with over 50 jet aircraft.

**AirAsia, AirAsia X, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia India.