AirlineRatings.com has released the results of its Top 20 Safest Airlines in the World for 2023 and the list shows that experience – of the carrier and the crew – is the biggest factor in a safe flight. So which airline takes the top spot? 

That accolade goes to Qantas, the Australian flag carrier that has been in operation for over 100 years, making it the third oldest airline still flying and “industry’s most experienced airline”, according to AirlineRatings.com’s editor-in-chief, Geoffrey Thomas. The world’s oldest airline in operation is KLM, which came in 18th position.  

Filling out the rest of the Top Five is Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. The first European airline to rank is TAP Air Portugal in sixth, which flies regularly out of Nice Airport.  

Other big names at Nice Côte d’Azur Aéroport also feature on the list: Emirates (seventh), SAS (13th), Lufthansa (15th), Finnair (16th), British Airways (17th), and Delta (20th). The French flag carrier of Air France failed to make the Top 20.  

In total, the study considered 385 airlines in its rankings, looking at crashes over the last five years, serious incidents over two years, audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations, fleet age, expert analysis of pilot training, and COVID protocols.  

Click here for the full list.  

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