
22/07/2025
Air New Zealand has indeed been named the world's safest airline in 2025 by AirlineRatings.com. This marks a continued trend for the airline, as they also topped the list in 2024.
A key factor contributing to their top ranking is their strong safety record. The "test flight incident 17 years ago" likely refers to the Air New Zealand A320 crash off the coast of France on November 27, 2008. This incident, which killed all seven people on board, occurred during a test flight of an aircraft being returned to Air New Zealand from a lease. While tragic, it was not a passenger flight and is considered separate from commercial passenger operations in safety assessments like those by AirlineRatings.com.