These are the world's safest airlines according to AirlineRatings

• More than 300 airlines were judged on incident rates, fleet size adn age, pilot skill and safety standard compliance

• HK Express was the highest rated airline for safety for the second year in a row in the low-cost airline category

• Excellence in turbulence management helped Etihad rate as safest airline in the world in the full-service category

Read more: Hong Kong Airlines is launching a 'panda' plane

AirRatings announces the world's safest airlines - HK Express is the safesty low-cost airline in the world

Read more: New technology is smoothing the way in a bid to eliminate turbulence

HK Express Airways has been ranked as the World’s Safest Low-Cost Airline for 2026 by airline safety rating organisation, AirlineRatings.

The rankings announcement includes the Top 25 Safest Full-Service and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2026 from the 320 airlines it monitors.This is the second consecutive year that HK Express has secured the top spot for a low-cost airline. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific placed second in the full-service category.

AirlineRatings is the world’s only airline safety and product rating website. Rankings are based on evaluation by aviation experts and check pilots. Serious incidents over the preceding two years, incident rates, fleet size and age, pilot skill and training and compliance with operational safety standards are all considered.

According to Sharon Petersen, chief executive officer of AirlineRatings, HK Express took first place due to its modern fleet, exceptionally low incident rate and “an almost flawless” onboard safety audit. “Given Hong Kong’s stringent incident reporting requirements, this low incident rate and absence of serious incidents genuinely reflects a highly disciplined and well-run operation,” she said.

“Being recognised as the World’s Safest Low-Cost Airline for the second consecutive year is a tremendous honour and a strong endorsement of the standards we uphold every day,” said Jeanette Mao, chief executive officer of HK Express. “Having safely flown more than 35 million customers, we remain focused on expanding our network and delivering reliable air travel service across Asia.

The top ten of low-cost airlines includes:

1. HK Express

2. Jetstar

3. Scoot

4. flydubai

5. easyJet Group

6. Southwest

7. airBaltic

8. VietJet Air

9. Wizz Air Group

   10. AirAsia Group

Etihad took top place in the full-service category, the first time a Gulf Carrier has come in at number one. According to AirlineRatings, Etihad achieved its top position because of its 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.

The top ten run-down of full-service categories includes:

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

Cathay this year celebrates its 80th anniversary with a reintroduction of retro crew uniform, heritage-inspired merchandise and a plane in vintage livery.