This month, AirlineRatings.com announced its safest airlines for 2023. The study looked at 385 airlines at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching new aircraft.
According to a press release, the study analyzed the following to determine the safest airlines in 2023:
- crashes over five years
- serious incidents over two years
- audits from aviation's governing bodies and lead associations
- fleet age
- expert analysis of pilot training
- COVID protocols
It's important to note that although Alaska Airlines was the only U.S. carrier to land the top 10, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines did make the top 20.
"However, all airlines have incidents every day, and many are aircraft or engine manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. It is the way the flight crew handles these incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one," AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas says.
The top 10 safest airlines 2023
- Qantas
- Air New Zealand
- Etihad Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- TAP Air Portugal
- Emirates
- Alaska Airlines
- EVA Air
- Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
Qantas took the top spot in the AirlineRatings.com study. Australia's largest carrier outranked last year's winner Air New Zealand, which came second.
According to the AirlineRatings.com study, Qantas is considered the industry's most experienced airline because it has 100 years of operational history.
Air New Zealand operates 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries. In 2020, AirlineRatings.com awarded Air New Zealand as the best airline in the Airline Excellence Awards.
The airline that came in third place was Etihad Airways, the second-largest airline in the United Arab Emirates, after Emirates.
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