AirlineRatings.com has published its list of the safest airlines for 2019. The safety and product rating site evaluated multiple critical factors, including regulatory and government audits, records of crashes and serious incidents, fleet age, and airline financial health to create its rankings.
The site released a list of the top 20 safest airlines (presented in no particular order). Those carriers are Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United Airlines, and Virgin Group.
AirlineRatings.com also identified the top 10 safest low-cost carriers for 2019. That list includes Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, JetBlue, Jetstar, Volaris, Thomas Cook, Vueling, WestJet, and Wizz Air.
Conversely, the site named the lowest-ranked carriers for 2019, listing Ariana Afghan Airlines, Blue Wing Airlines, Kam Air, Tara Air, and Trigana Air Service among those judged least safe.
The methodology behind these selections emphasizes independent oversight and operational history. By combining audit results, incident records, fleet modernity, and financial stability, AirlineRatings.com aims to provide a comprehensive view of airline safety rather than relying on a single metric. Travelers can use these assessments as one of several tools when comparing carriers, while also considering route coverage, service quality, and price.
Overall, the 2019 rankings highlight a broad mix of global network carriers and low-cost airlines that meet stringent safety criteria, alongside a small group of operators whose safety records and oversight raised concerns according to the site’s analysis.