While flying is widely considered one of the safest ways to travel, recent high-profile incidents, including crashes and runway near-misses, have raised passenger concerns about airline safety.
In December, passengers had to be evacuated from a Faro-bound Ryanair plane when it crashed into a fuel truck at Edinburgh Airport.
Just two months prior, a Ryanair flight came within six minutes of ‘running out of fuel’ mid-air.
The flight was heading to Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport from Pisa in Italy on October 3 when it issued a ‘fuel Mayday’ and made an emergency landing in Manchester.
With millions of holidaymakers making use of the January sales to book their next trip, many will be looking for reassurance that their journey will be safe.
Today, Australian-based company AirlineRatings.com has published its ranking of the world’s safest airlines for 2026.
The site assesses the flight records of 320 carriers, as well as account audits from aviation governing bodies, crash and serious incident records, safety initiatives, pilot training, fleet age and more.
In a list of the 25 safest long-haul airlines worldwide, Etihad ranked in first place with Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar and Emirates rounding off the top five.
In a list of the 25 safest long-haul airlines worldwide, Etihad ranked in first place
British Airways ranks among the top 25 safest full-service airlines
British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier airline, ranks 18th in the world, a drop from 15th last year
In a separate ranking of the top safest low-cost airlines for 2026, EasyJet, TUI, Jet2 and Ryanair rank within the top 20.
However, multiple UK carriers have dropped in the ranking since last year.
Last year, Ireland’s Ryanair ranked as the third safest low-cost airline. However, this year, it dropped to 18th place.
EasyJet was ranked the fourth safest low-cost airline in 2025, dropping to fifth place this year.
Jet2 also dropped down in the rankings, from 14th to 17th.
The top spots went to HK Express, Jetstar Australia, Scoot, Fly Dubai and EasyJet Group.
AirlineRatings CEO Sharon Petersen said: ‘One change for this year is that we are placing a greater emphasis on turbulence prevention, as it remains the leading cause of in-flight injuries.’
Ryanair ranks among the safest low-cost airlines, despite some negative passenger perceptions due to its budget model
The top spots went to HK Express, Jetstar Australia, Scoot, Fly Dubai and EasyJet Group
She added: ‘While incidents occur daily and are a normal part of operations, the skill of the pilots and cabin crew regularly determines whether an incident escalates into something far worse.
‘We also look at the reporting culture, noting that an airline with a completely incident-free record would suggest a serious lapse in reporting rather than a flawless safety record.
‘Every airline that features in our 2026 lists has recorded incidents, from tail strikes to on-board fires and engine shutdowns, yet the actual incident rate per flight sits between 0.002 and 0.09 across our list, which is a true credit to the industry as a whole.
‘In the modern era of aviation, where serious incidents are rare, inclusion in the Top 25 reflects not just excellence in aircraft and operations, but the crucial role of skilled aircrew and robust safety practices across the airline.’
