Air Travel
The world's safest airlines for 2021, per AirlineRatings.com
USA TODAY
![AirlineRatings.com has released its annual list of the world ' s safest carriers for 2021, just as COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out and travelers ponder post-pandemic trips. Scroll ahead to see which U.S. carriers made the top 20 and which airlines you should consider for your next international trip. The website made its rankings based on the following criteria: each airline ’ s crash and serious incident record, audits from aviation ’ s governing and industry bodies, government audits, industry-leading safety initiatives and fleet age.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2021/01/05/USAT/73aca68b-6c64-4620-908a-37517a41588f-jfk-terminal.jpg?width=660&height=419&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
AirlineRatings.com has released its annual list of the world's safest carriers for 2021, just as COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out and travelers ponder post-pandemic trips. Scroll ahead to see which U.S. carriers made the top 20 and which airlines you should consider for your next international trip. The website made its rankings based on the following criteria: each airline’s crash and serious incident record, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, government audits, industry-leading safety initiatives and fleet age.
KENA BETANCUR, AFP Via Getty Images![20. United Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/e285763efde608e33ae6d643762b47c17a010aa9/c=0-174-3350-2058/local/-/media/2020/12/08/USATODAY/usatsports/ual-737-taxing-source-ual.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
20. United Airlines
United Airlines![19. KLM](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2019/10/23/USAT/9d28d0f8-b227-4257-9684-eb093394d19c-Air-France---KLM-Flying-Blue.jpg?width=660&height=453&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
19. KLM
Capital Photos (for KLM)![18. Lufthansa](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2019/02/01/USAT/e093793c-e3ff-4dd6-aa4e-4c5aedc63e72-2019_01_2627_Houston_Bush_IAH_avgeek_gallery_JDL-27.jpg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
18. Lufthansa
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren For USA TODAY![17. Finnair](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/10/15/USAT/cfc002c4-f27a-4f3c-9b8d-a19e39b0f4fd-XXX_Mutzabaugh-20160508-215924.jpg?width=660&height=503&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
17. Finnair
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Special To USA TODAY![16. Scandinavian Airlines, aka SAS](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2019/01/03/USAT/bcdf619a-bba1-488b-ae37-04717c09ccb8-XXX_tdl_08_.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
16. Scandinavian Airlines, aka SAS
AFP, AFP/Getty Images![15. American Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/deafd49868686df6418a14fba03f83203698c11d/c=0-0-2500-1406/local/-/media/2020/12/24/USATODAY/usatsports/airline-american-airlines-plane-aal.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
15. American Airlines
American Airlines![14. Delta Air Lines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/05/05/USAT/14886c9d-4e1f-4876-bfc5-f2129ed6686d-masks-delta-plane.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
14. Delta Air Lines
Rick Bowmer/AP![13. Southwest Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/12/07/USAT/94629ef3-a77d-4179-a3d9-e3df502143aa-Southwest_Airlines_March_Schedule_Release-source.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
13. Southwest Airlines
Stephen M. Keller/Southwest AIrlines![12. Hawaiian Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/27437fca59cac08185a75aee56723d03e919eb23/c=0-70-1343-825/local/-/media/2020/12/22/USATODAY/usatsports/airline-hawaiian-holdings-ha-airbus-a330.JPG.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
12. Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic10. British Airways
LEON NEAL/AFP Via Getty Images![9. Cathay Pacific Airways](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/6da6a6c89c9b09ad9cf963f04458e195869d3616/c=0-180-5096-3059/local/-/media/2018/07/09/USATODAY/USATODAY/636667647017688474-EPA-CHINA-HONG-KONG-CATHAY-PACIFIC.jpg?width=660&height=373&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
9. Cathay Pacific Airways
Jerome Favre, EPA![8. Alaska Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/a7469240904944f4f39f17a41630282884c98936/c=0-0-1560-878/local/-/media/2020/12/23/USATODAY/usatsports/airline-alaska-air-group-alk-boeing-737.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
8. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines![7. Etihad Airways](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2019/08/19/USAT/cfc28a7d-e070-49af-b7d7-846ce16871a4-8-etihad.jpg?width=660&height=401&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
7. Etihad Airways
Kamran Jebreili, AP![6. EVA Air](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2021/01/05/USAT/8a824393-bd4c-419e-b503-213a5fd49917-eva-air.jpg?width=660&height=405&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
6. EVA Air
Bob Levey, Getty Images For Sanrio![5. Emirates](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/11/23/USAT/caed5e25-a7ff-486c-9425-3d81f87cc48e-Emirates-Skywards.jpg?width=660&height=455&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
5. Emirates
Emirates![4. Singapore Airlines](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2018/10/31/USAT/0b335fe6-3565-4a2c-926f-3a092b06ecfa-USAT_July16-21.jpg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
4. Singapore Airlines
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special To USA TODAY![3. Air New Zealand](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2021/01/05/USAT/507d7930-5f78-4056-a08a-59fbdc88b556-AirNZ.jpg?width=660&height=484&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
3. Air New Zealand
Nick Ut, AP![2. Qatar Airways](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2018/11/06/USAT/29102a27-a2b9-413a-bbec-1831fd567f64-USAT_Nov_18-1.jpg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
2. Qatar Airways
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special To USA TODAY![1. Qantas. So why is it No. 1? " Over its 100-year history, the world ’ s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed a truly amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry ’ s most experienced airline, " AirlineRatings.com said. The website ticked off a list of Qantas ' accomplishments: its role in developing the Future Air Navigation System linking planes and air traffic control towers; fleet-wide, real-time monitoring of engines, flight data recorders; and GPS-guided automatic landings and precision approaches around mountains using Required Navigation Performance . AirlineRatings.com also noted that Qantas has implemented some of the biggest safety enhancements introduced in the past 60 years.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2019/11/11/USAT/26bad6cb-2c8e-4750-b2e2-f15f5a3007ba-787-9_Melbourne_002.jpg?width=660&height=467&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
1. Qantas. So why is it No. 1? "Over its 100-year history, the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed a truly amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline," AirlineRatings.com said.
The website ticked off a list of Qantas' accomplishments: its role in developing the Future Air Navigation System linking planes and air traffic control towers; fleet-wide, real-time monitoring of engines, flight data recorders; and GPS-guided automatic landings and precision approaches around mountains using Required Navigation Performance. AirlineRatings.com also noted that Qantas has implemented some of the biggest safety enhancements introduced in the past 60 years.
Provided By QantasThe website ticked off a list of Qantas' accomplishments: its role in developing the Future Air Navigation System linking planes and air traffic control towers; fleet-wide, real-time monitoring of engines, flight data recorders; and GPS-guided automatic landings and precision approaches around mountains using Required Navigation Performance. AirlineRatings.com also noted that Qantas has implemented some of the biggest safety enhancements introduced in the past 60 years.
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