By a slim margin, Air New Zealand has regained its position as the safest airline for 2024.
Air New Zealand has just about unsettled Qantas to take the title of world’s safest airline for 2024.
Based on 385 different airlines that AirlineRatings.com tracked, Virgin Australia and Qantas were ranked in the top three of the world’s safest airlines for 2024.Virgin jumped from tenth to third place in the rankings, while Qantas dropped to second.
Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.com, stated that there was only 1.5 points separating Air New Zealand and Qantas in this fierce competition. Fleet age narrowly prevented Qantas from taking first place.
According to Thomas, “our top 25 safest airlines are all exceptional in the sector and are leading the way in safety, innovation, and the introduction of new aircraft.”
“The safety margins between these top 25 airlines are actually quite narrow.”
AirlineRatings.com analyzed crashes over a five-year period, major incidents over a two-year period, government audits, audits from aviation industry and regulatory agencies, fleet age, and aircrew training to produce the rankings.
In 2023, Qantas experienced a turbulent year as the national carrier faced criticism for reportedly offering tickets for over 8,000 flights that it had canceled beforehand.
Amidst continuous controversy, former CEO Alan Joyce resigned from the position in September, two months earlier than anticipated. Vanessa Hudson, the airline’s new CEO, expressed regret for disappointing passengers and pledged to work towards regaining the public’s trust.
