Etihad Airways Claims Top Spot as World's Safest Airline, Qantas Slips to Third
Key Points
- 1Etihad Airways secured the No. 1 position on the Airlineratings.com 2026 safety list, becoming the first Gulf carrier to achieve this milestone.
- 2Qantas dropped two places to third, with its ranking partially linked to its fleet age, despite an ongoing fleet renewal program.
- 3The 2026 rankings placed a new, stronger emphasis on turbulence prevention, which is the leading cause of in-flight injuries.
- 4The top six airlines—Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar, Emirates, and Air New Zealand—were separated by only 1.3 points, highlighting minimal safety differences.
Etihad Airways has been named the world's safest full-service airline for 2026. This marks a historic first for a Gulf carrier, according to the annual safety rankings from Airlineratings.com. The Abu Dhabi-based airline surpassed more than 320 global competitors to claim the top spot.
Australia’s national carrier, Qantas, slipped two places to third position. Qantas last topped the coveted list in 2023. The 2026 rankings show incredibly narrow margins among the industry leaders.
The New Safety Leaders and Tight Margins
Etihad Airways' ascent to the number one position was driven by several key factors. These include a young fleet and a crash-free history. The airline also demonstrated advancements in cockpit safety. This was particularly true around turbulence management. Furthermore, Etihad recorded the lowest incident rate per flight on the list.
Cathay Pacific secured the second position on the Airlineratings.com 2026 safety list. Qantas ranked third, followed by Qatar Airways and Emirates. Air New Zealand, which topped the survey in 2025, dropped to sixth place.
Chief Executive Sharon Petersen noted the rankings are extremely close. Only 1.3 points separated the top six airlines. She stated that all airlines in the Top 25 are world leaders in commercial aviation safety standards. Claims that one is significantly safer than another are misleading.
Evolving Safety Criteria and Turbulence Focus
The ranking methodology evaluates a broad range of safety indicators. These include incident rates adjusted for total flights and fleet age. Pilot training and international safety audits are also key factors. A significant change for the 2026 list is a greater emphasis on turbulence prevention. Turbulence remains the leading cause of in-flight injuries.
Etihad participated in an independent onboard safety audit. The airline showed excellent adherence to turbulence management in the cabin. The focus on turbulence highlights a critical challenge for the global industry.
Fleet Renewal and Airline Returns
Qantas's two-place Qantas safety ranking slip was partly attributed to its ageing fleet. However, the national carrier is actively engaged in a fleet renewal program. Since 2023, Qantas has introduced new Airbus aircraft. It has also added more long-haul Boeing 787 planes.
Singapore Airlines returned to the rankings this year. The airline was excluded last year following a serious turbulence incident. This incident resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries. After visiting the airline's safety and training center, Airlineratings.com reinstated them.
Low-Cost Carrier Rankings
Airlineratings.com also assessed low-cost carriers. Cathay Pacific's budget carrier, HK Express safest low-cost carrier, claimed the top accolade for a second time. This was due to its modern fleet and exceptionally low incident rate. Qantas’s low-cost arm, Jetstar Airways, was the runner-up in this category.
Every airline on the 2026 lists has recorded incidents in the past two years. These range from tail strikes to engine shutdowns. However, the actual incident rate per flight is extremely low. It sits between 0.002 and 0.09 across the airlines. This reflects the overall safety of modern commercial aviation. Safety is now defined by consistency, culture, and effective risk management across millions of flights. For more on this and other industry developments, visit our commercial aviation news. (https://flying.flights)
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Written by
Ujjwal SukhwaniAviation News Editor & Industry Analyst delivering clear coverage for a worldwide audience.
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