Airlineratings.com CEO Sharon Petersen explained why Air New Zealand were able to beat out Qantas by the barest of margins.
“It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines,” she said.
“While both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas, which separates the two.”
According to the watchdog, which monitors 385 airlines, it weighs up its rankings based on a number of factors, including fatal accidents, fleet age, profitability, safety initiatives, audits from aviation governing bodies, and expert pilot and training assessments.
Incidents such as bird strikes, weather diversions, and injuries from turbulence are not included given airlines have no control over these events.
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran told news.com.au he was proud of the entire Air New Zealand whānau and was specifically impressed with how “consistently and diligently” the company and staff put “safety at the forefront of everything” they did.
“Operational integrity is at the heart of our business. We have a strong culture of safety that puts our team and passengers first.
Petersen backed up Foran’s feelings, telling Forbes the Kiwi airline’s safety record with no serious crashes or incidents in the modern jet era is what puts them above the rest.
She said the airline consistently performs in challenging conditions such as Queenstown, which is “one of the most demanding airports due to its high mountain ranges and strong downdrafts”.
Top 25 Full-Service Airlines for 2025
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific; Qatar Airways; Emirates
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
- ANA
- EVA Air
- Korean Air
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines (THY)
- TAP Portugal
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- SAS
- British Airways
- Iberia
- Finnair
- Lufthansa/Swiss
- JAL
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- United Airlines