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This carrier beat Qantas and Air NZ in world’s safest airline rankings

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
The annual World’s Safest Airlines rankings by AirlineRatings have just landed. These are the results for 2026.

From rigorous pilot training and intricate engineering to smarter ways of managing turbulence, a lot more goes into air safety than passengers see. Each year, airline safety and product ratings site AirlineRatings pulls back the curtain with its World’s Safest Airlines list – and the 2026 rankings have just been revealed.

Drawn from a pool of 320 carriers worldwide, the Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines for 2026 spotlight the carriers setting global benchmarks for safety and operational excellence. 

This year, there’s a new name at the top. Knocking Air New Zealand off its multi-year pedestal, Etihad has been named the safest airline in the world for 2026. AirlineRating CEO Sharon Petersen says this is the first year a Gulf carrier has been crowned the number one airline.

“Etihad achieved [the top ranking] through a combination of factors: a young fleet, advancements in cockpit safety, particularly around turbulence, a crash-free history, and the lowest incident rate per flight of any airline on the list," Petersen said. “The airline also participated in our independent onboard safety audit and demonstrated excellent adherence to turbulence management in the cabin." 

qantas plane flying in sydney
Qantas has once again featured in the World’s Best Airlines list. (Image: Unsplash/David Syphers)

While Air New Zealand dropped to number six, Cathay Pacific rose from equal third in 2025 (tied with Qatar Airways and Emirates) to second place in 2026.  

Australia’s national airline, Qantas, dropped from second place in 2025 to third this year, with Qatar and Emirates securing the fourth and fifth slots, respectively.  

While some slots have shifted this year, Peterson stresses that the rankings do not necessarily indicate a significant difference in safety levels. “What stands out this year is how little separates the leaders. Less than four points covered positions one through 14, and at the very top, the margins were even tighter, with just 1.3 points separating positions one through six in the full-service category. 

“All airlines in the Top 25 are world leaders in aviation safety, and claims that one is significantly safer or less safe than another are both sensationalist and false." 

How are the world’s safest airlines judged?

airplane aisle
(Image: Unsplash/Hanson Lu)

AirlineRatings attributes a one- to seven-star safety rating to each airline listed on their website. These ratings are based on a number of factors, including: 

  • Pilot-related incidents 
  • Fatal accidents over the last 10 years 
  • International safety audits such as the IOSA, ICAO country safety audit and EU airline bans 

For the annual World’s Safest Airlines list, AirlineRatings conducts a deeper investigation into all the airlines that have earned a seven-star safety rating. They carefully select the top performers from this group across different categories, taking into consideration fleet age, pilot training and incident rates adjusted for the total number of flights. 

In terms of criteria and methodology, Peterson says this year they placed “greater emphasis on turbulence prevention, as it remains the leading cause of in-flight injuries."   

The top 25 full-service airlines for 2026

  1. Etihad 
  2. Cathay Pacific 
  3. Qantas 
  4. Qatar 
  5. Emirates 
  6. Air New Zealand 
  7. Singapore Airlines 
  8. EVA Air 
  9. Virgin Australia 
  10. Korean Air 
  11. STARLUX 
  12. Turkish Airlines 
  13. Virgin Atlantic 
  14. ANA 
  15. Alaska Airlines 
  16. TAP Air Portugal 
  17. SAS 
  18. British Airways 
  19. Vietnam Airlines 
  20. Iberia 
  21. Lufthansa 
  22. Air Canada 
  23. Delta2 
  24. American Airlines
  25. Fiji Airways 

The top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2026

  1. HK Express 
  2. Jetstar Airways 
  3. Scoot 
  4. flydubai (Now considered a full-service airline and will be assessed accordingly in future publications.) 
  5. EasyJet Group 
  6. Southwest 
  7. airBaltic 
  8. VietJet Air 
  9. Wizz Air Group 
  10. AirAsia Group4 
  11. TUI UK 
  12. Vueling 
  13. Norwegian 
  14. JetBlue 
  15. FlyNAS 
  16. Cebu Pacific 
  17. Jet2 
  18. Ryanair Ireland and UK 
  19. Spring Airlines China 
  20. Transavia Group 
  21. Eurowings Group 
  22. Volaris6 
  23. WestJet Group 
  24. GOL 
  25. SKY Airline Chile 

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Eleanor Edström
Eleanor Edström is International Traveller’s Associate Editor. El began her career writing for national magazines including Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel, and has since developed a soft spot for wild landscapes, thoughtful design and the human stories that bring them to life. She holds an honours degree in English and philosophy from the University of Sydney, and has lived abroad in both Switzerland and France – ostensibly to sharpen her French, though the pastries made a strong supporting case. One day, she hopes to swim with humpback whales off the coast of Mo'orea.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Continue
    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

    woman hiking around queenstown new zealand
    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.