World’s best low-cost airlines for 2021 revealed

Britain's easyJet takes the top spot in the latest rankings from AirlineRatings.com

EasyJet is the world's best budget airline according to new rankings from AirlineRatings.com

Jetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline. Here, one of its Airbus A330-200s moves down the runway at Sydney Airport

Frontier Airlines is an American ultra low-cost carrier. Its headquarters are in Colorado

JetBlue, a low-cost US carrier, ranks fourth in the 2021 list

Ryanair was ranked among the world's top 10 best budget airlines for 2021

Scoot is a Singaporean low-cost carrier and a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. Here, one of Scoot's Boeing 787 Dreamliners can be seen at Singapore's Changi Airport

Southwest Airlines has its headquarters in Texas. Here, several of its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft are shown parked at Victorville Airport in California

Volaris is a budget-friendly Mexican airline, and the second largest in the country after Aeromexico

VietJet, a low-cost airline from Vietnam, made the cut in the world's top 10 low-cost airline rankings

A Westjet aircraft taxis at Vancouver International Airport in Canada

After a year in which the aviation industry battled its worst crisis, there is light at the end of the tunnel as travel begins to return in some regions around the world.

While many airlines were forced to ground fleets for several months owing to restrictions imposed to help control the global pandemic, others have returned to the skies as travellers begin to gain confidence once again.

To coincide with this return of travel, AirlineRatings.com has revealed the top 10 best low-cost airlines in the world. The ranking can be used by passengers to decide which airline to book, by those seeking the best in affordable flying.

The Australian aviation safety and product rating agency compiles its rankings based on several criteria, including the age of the fleet, passenger reviews and product offerings. This year, airlines have also been ranked based on how they responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The top 10 low-cost airlines in 2021

1. easyJet (UK)

2. Jetstar (Australia)

3. Frontier (US)

4. JetBlue (US)

5. Ryanair (Ireland)

6. Scoot (Singapore)

7. Southwest (US)

8. VietJet Air (Vietnam)

9. Volaris (Mexico)

10. WestJet (Canada)

AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas said that “each of these airlines has an excellent safety record and has made a big difference in their market”.

“From Southwest Airlines, which started the low-cost revolution in the 1970s, to JetBlue, which redefines the low-cost product, each airline has made a huge contribution to affordable travel.

“In Europe, it’s easyJet and Ryanair, in Asia Jetstar and Scoot, while in Americas one can add Frontier, Volaris and WestJet to Southwest and JetBlue. All are standouts.”

Sharjah's Air Arabia made its debut in 2020's list, but has been left out of the top 10 this year. It did, however, rank in the top 10 low-cost safest airline rankings that were published in January.

No other UAE airline was included in the top 10 list this year. That's despite an expansion of budget air travel providers, with the launch of two new low-cost airlines in Abu Dhabi.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi have commenced operations since the onset of the global pandemic, and offer flights in and out of the UAE capital.

How are the top 10 airlines chosen?

AirlineRatings.com chooses the top 10 budget airlines based on excellent safety and incident records, as well as commending those that have completed the stringent International Air Transport Association (Iata) Operational Safety Audit.

This optional evaluation system checks airlines on more than 1,000 points and is reassessed every two years.

The website also offers travellers a tool where they can compare the safety assessments of almost 400 airlines monitored by the rating agency.