Qantas Reclaims Top Spot On World’s Safest Airlines List For 2023

Just like clockwork, AirlineRatings has released its annual round-up of the world’s safest airlines with Qantas re-emerging as the creme of the crop. Given Qantas was dethroned by Air New Zealand last year, after three consecutive years of claiming the top spot, the nod indicates a return to form for the Flying Kangaroo, which reportedly just beat the Kiwi carrier by “the finest of margins.”

Qantas beat more than 384 carriers to be named the World’s Safest Airline, based on several metrics including airlines’ crash and serious incident records, Covid-19 protocols, pilot training, profitability, age of aircraft in fleet, and various operational innovation.

In a statement released by AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas, Australia’s flag carrier was singled out for its wide record of innovative operations and safety achievements over the course of its 100-year history, ostensibly making it “the industry’s most experienced airline.”

There seem to be a number of factors driving Qantas back up to the top of the list. Having no incidents like last year’s near-collision at Perth Airport – a 737 crew in taxi entered an active runway and almost bumped into another company 737 – definitely helps, but there’s also the fact Qantas will be aggressively expanding and modernising its fleet over the next ten years.

In 2021, the airline put in the largest order in its history for 12 A350-1000s ultra-long-range jets, as well as 20 A321XLRs and 20 A220s.

Qantas isn’t the only Aussie on the list, though. Also sliding into the top ten is Virgin Australia/Atlantic, just scraping in above Cathay Pacific Airlines which misses out at #11.

Last year’s winner, Air New Zealand, slides down to the second spot while Etihad Airways rounds out the top three.

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The rest of the World’s Safest Airlines 2023 list has seen a fair bit of movement when compared to last year. Not only has Qantas risen from #7 and #1, but Emirates has jumped from #20 all the way to #7. The biggest fall seems to be SAS, with the Scandinavian carrier dropping from last year’s #6 to this year’s #13.

You can check out the full (ranked) list below, followed by an (unranked) list of the safest low-cost airlines for 2023.

World’s Safest Airlines 2023

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 Air Lines

20 Safest Low-Cost Airlines 2023 (Unranked)

• Air Arabia
• AirAsia 
• Allegiant
• Air Baltic
• Easyjet
• FlyDubai
• Frontier
• Jetstar 
• Jetblue
• Indigo
• Ryanair
• Scoot
• Southwest
• Spicejet
• Spirit
• Vueling
• Vietjet
• Volaris
• Westjet
• Wizz​