Four UAE carriers ranked among world’s safest airlines for 2025

Four airlines based in the United Arab Emirates have been included in AirlineRatings.com’s 2025 safest airlines rankings. Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia are among the airlines recognized for maintaining high safety benchmarks across the aviation industry.

Emirates tied for third place in the full-service airline category, alongside Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways. Etihad Airways ranked within the top 10, highlighting its consistent performance in safety evaluations. In the low-cost airline category, flydubai entered the top 10 for the first time, while Air Arabia retained its position on the list.

The rankings

Top 25 safest full-service airlines for 2025:

1. Air New Zealand
2. Qantas
3. Emirates / Cathay Pacific / Qatar Airways (tie)
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

Top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2025:

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. flydubai
11. Volaris
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

The 2025 rankings also spotlight new entrants, such as Iberia and Vietnam Airlines, and shifts within the industry, including Korean Air’s move into the top 10. In the low-cost category, Hong Kong Express claimed the top spot, with notable changes like flydubai’s entry into the top 10.

How rankings are determined

AirlineRatings.com assesses the world’s safest airlines using a set of comprehensive criteria. This includes consultations with check pilots and aviation experts, alongside the following key measures:

• Serious incidents over the past two years
• Fleet age and size
• Rate of incidents and fatalities
• Profitability, reflecting operational stability
• IOSA certification, ensuring adherence to global operational standards
• ICAO country audit pass, assessing regulatory compliance
• Pilot skill and training, a critical factor in safety performance

Recent incidents

The rankings come at a time when aviation safety remains a critical focus.

On December 29, a crash of a Jeju Air flight killed 179 people, making it the deadliest air accident on Korean soil. Two cabin crew members were the only survivors. The plane was coming from Bangkok when it crash-landed at Muan International Airport and slammed into a wall off the end of the runway, bursting into flames.

Just a few days earlier on December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for Russia crash-landed in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 people.