AirlineRatings.com, a leading safety, product, and COVID-19 rating website, has released its annual rankings of the world’s safest airlines. This year’s top ten list has been shuffled a little, but travelers will find plenty of familiar names among the best for safety and security in 2022. Here’s a look at how the top ten pans out.
10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
Virgin Australia/Atlantic moves up one position from 2021 to round out the top ten for 2022. The brand has recently been in the news for bankruptcy issues, but it still excels at getting passengers to their destinations without incident.
9. EVA Air
Taiwan’s EVA Air, also known as Evergreen Airways, has dropped three places since 2021 but remains firmly in the top ten. According to AirlineRatings.com’s research, the airline known for its Hello Kitty-themed planes and flights continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic better than most carriers around the world.
8. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, which was at the forefront of the transition to touch-free at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is still ranked eighth for 2022. Alaska Airlines maintains its title as the safest airline in the United States.
7. Qantas
Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier, dropped six spots from first place in 2018 due to an incident at Perth Airport “A combination of factors led to a 737 crew that had just exited runway 03 taxiing past stop bars and into an active runway, almost colliding with another company 737 on its take-off roll. The report on that complex and serious incident was not released until late 2020, which was too late to be included in our 2021 safety rankings “According to AirlineRatings.com.
6. SAS
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is one of the year’s biggest risers, rising 10 places from 16th in 2021 to sixth in 2022. Of course, the Stockholm-based airline has a stellar safety record and has implemented enhanced health and safety protocols in response to the pandemic.
5. TAP Air Portugal
TAP Air Portugal is the safest airline in Europe and the fifth-safest in the world this year, which may surprise some. The Lisbon-based airline has been in business for more than 75 years and operates hundreds of flights per week to dozens of destinations worldwide.
4. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is still the world’s fourth-safest airline in 2022. The high praise is nothing new for the consistent carrier, which has been named the world’s best airline several times in recent years by Skytrax.
3. Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways fell one spot from second place in 2021, finishing as the third-safest airline in 2022. Last year, Qatar became the first country to use 100% touchless technology for its in-flight entertainment system.
2. Etihad
Etihad Airways, which began distributing the IATA Travel Pass in several cities last year, has risen five places from last year to become the world’s second-safest carrier for 2022.
1. Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has risen two places from last year to become the world’s best airline in 2022.
“Air New Zealand is a stand-out airline with a firm focus on safety and its customers and over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has brought another new dimension to the challenges the industry faces. Air New Zealand has excelled across the broad safety spectrum never losing sight of the smallest detail while caring for its flight crews who have worked under significant stress.”
Airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas