Qantas dethrones Air New Zealand as world's safest airline, according to AirlineRatings

Qantas has replaced Air New Zealand as the safest airline in the world for 2023 in a new report.

The Australian airline beat Aotearoa's national carrier by "the finest of margins" in the annual rankings by AirlineRatings.com.

The website's editors said of Qantas: "Over its 100-year operational history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline."

In determining the world's safest airlines, the website's editors say they analysed factors including crash records, fleet age, profitability, pilot training assessment, audits from aviation's governing and industry bodies, and COVID-19 protocols.

Air NZ's second place ranking comes after it was ranked 30th best overall airline in the world by Skytrax in 2022.

AirlineRatings.com's top 20 safest airlines for 2023:

1. Qantas
2. Air New Zealand
3. Etihad Airways
4. Qatar Airways
5. Singapore Airlines
6. TAP Air Portugal
7. Emirates
8. Alaska Airlines
9. EVA Air
10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
11. Cathay Pacific Airways
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. SAS
14. United Airlines
15. Lufthansa/Swiss Group
16. Finnair
17. British Airways
18. KLM
19. American Airlines
20. Delta Air Lines.

AirlineRatings.com launched in 2013 and rates the safety, in-flight product and COVID-19 compliance of 385 airlines.