Passanger airplane flying above clouds in evening.
Passanger airplane flying above clouds in evening.
For the second year in a row, Air New Zealand has been rated the safest airline in the world, beating out transtasman rivals, Qantas, for the top spot in 2025.
The two airlines have gone toe-to-toe in the prestigious Airlineratings.com rankings, with just 1.50 points the difference between the two travel juggernauts.
The Kiwi carrier also won the award in 2022, making it three top spots in the past four years after Qantas fended them off to win in 2023.
In this year’s rankings, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airways came third equal while Virgin Australia pipped Etihad Airways (fifth) for fourth spot.
Air New Zealand beat out Qantas by just 1.5 points. Photo / 123rf
Airlineratings.com CEO Sharon Petersen explained why Air New Zealand were able to beat out Qantas by the barest of margins.
“It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines,” she said.
“While both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas, which separates the two.”
According to the watchdog, which monitors 385 airlines, it weighs up its rankings based on a number of factors, including fatal accidents, fleet age, profitability, safety initiatives, audits from aviation governing bodies, and expert pilot and training assessments.
Incidents such as bird strikes, weather diversions, and injuries from turbulence are not included given airlines have no control over these events.
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran told news.com.au he was proud of the entire Air New Zealand whānau and was specifically impressed with how “consistently and diligently” the company and staff put “safety at the forefront of everything” they did.
“Operational integrity is at the heart of our business. We have a strong culture of safety that puts our team and passengers first.
Petersen backed up Foran’s feelings, telling Forbes the Kiwi airline’s safety record with no serious crashes or incidents in the modern jet era is what puts them above the rest.
She said the airline consistently performs in challenging conditions such as Queenstown, which is “one of the most demanding airports due to its high mountain ranges and strong downdrafts”.
