World's safest airlines 2022 revealed: Etihad Airways and Emirates among best

Both carriers secured a spot in AirlineRatings.com's annual list

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  1. Air New Zealand. AFP

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  2. Etihad Airways. AFP

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  3. Qatar Airways. EPA

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  4. Singapore Airlines. EPA

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  5. TAP Air Portugal. Reuters

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  6. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Reuters

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  7. Qantas. Reuters

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  8. Alaska Airlines. AFP

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  9. EVA Air. EPA

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  10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic. EPA

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  11. Cathay Pacific. Getty Images

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  12. Hawaiian Airlines. Reuters

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  13. American Airlines. AFP

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  14. Lufthansa/Swiss Group. AFP

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  15. Finnair. AFP

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  16. Air France-KLM Group. Getty Images

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  17. British Airways (BA). EPA

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  18. Delta Air Lines. EPA

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  19. United Airlines. AFP

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  20. Emirates. Reuters

AirlineRatings.com has revealed its top 20 safest airlines for 2022.

While Air New Zealand nabbed the top spot, Etihad Airways came in at second place. Emirates also ranked in the top 20.

AirlineRatings was launched in June 2013 and judges the safety credentials of 385 airlines, taking into consideration elements such as crashes over five years; serious incidents over two years; audits from the aviation industry's governing bodies and lead associations; fleet age; and Covid-19 protocols.

Also appearing in the top 20 are Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, SAS, Qantas, Alaska Airlines, EVA Air, Virgin Australia/Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Lufthansa/Swiss Group, Finnair, Air France-KLM Group, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways.

“Our top 20 safest airlines 2022 are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787,” says Geoffrey Thomas, editor in chief of AirlineRatings.com.

“However all airlines have incidents every day, and many are aircraft or engine manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. It is the way the flight crew handles these incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one.”

Thomas cites Air New Zealand’s constantly high safety standards and the care it has shown for its flight crews as reasons for its ranking at the top of the 2022 safety list.

“Air New Zealand has won countless awards and has a firm focus on safety and its customers. Over the past 18 months, Covid-19 has brought yet another new dimension to the challenges. Air New Zealand has excelled across the broad safety spectrum, never losing sight of the smallest detail while caring for its flight crews who have worked under significant stress.”

AirlineRatings.com's top 20 safest airlines for 2022:

1. Air New Zealand
2. Etihad Airways
3. Qatar Airways
4. Singapore Airlines
5. TAP Air Portugal
6. SAS
7. Qantas
8. Alaska Airlines
9. EVA Air
10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
11. Cathay Pacific
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. American Airlines
14. Lufthansa/Swiss Group
15. Finnair
16. Air France-KLM Group
17. British Airways
18. Delta Air Lines
19. United Airlines
20. Emirates

In a separate ranking by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre, Emirates was named the world’s safest airline in the world. The carrier ranked first among 25 global airlines, with a risk index of 95.05 per cent in a JACDEC survey carried out for aviation magazine Aero International.

JACDEC ranks the safety credentials of the 100 biggest airlines in the world, based on revenue passenger kilometres.