Top 20 Safest Airlines for 2021

As the travel industry prepares for a revitalization thanks to COVID-19 vaccine advancement, AirlineRatings.com announced its top 20 safest airlines for 2021 from the 385 carriers the company monitors.

When determining the safest carriers in the world, the website takes a range of factors into account, including crash and serious incident records, audits from aviation's governing and industry bodies, government audits, safety initiatives, fleet age and more.

Here are the top 20 safest airlines in the world.

United Airlines customers can fly with confidence as the carrier has rolled out a number of elevated health and safety protocols and even introduced a new chat function to answer customers' questions via text.

The Dutch airline has been working hard to innovate during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, including a partnership with Delta Air Lines to launch COVID-tested flights from Atlanta to Amsterdam.

Gearing up for an increase in air travel going forward, Lufthansa Group launched a range of COVID-19 initiatives to work toward ensuring safe, seamless and sustainable experiences for its passengers.

Not only is Finnair one of the oldest airlines in the world, but it is also amongst the safest. The carrier went all out for customers this winter, as it offered customers an immersive 360-degree virtual visit to Santa.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has put in a rigorous and ambitious safety plan to ensure it reaches the highest level of aviation standards.

American Airlines is keeping customers safe through its Clean Commitment, installing hospital-grade HEPA filters to recirculate cabin air once every two-to-four minutes and relying on EPA-approved products to clean its planes.

Delta Air Lines limited capacity on its planes by keeping middle seats open through January 6, which is longer than any of its competitors.

Southwest Airlines' multi-layered approach to battling COVID-19 includes changes to operations, cleaning procedures and physical-distancing measures. The carrier also partnered with the Stanford University School of Medicine to review health and safety protocols.

One of six U.S.-based carriers to make the list for 2021, Hawaiian Airlines has never had a fatal crash or loss of plane hull since its founding in 1929. The airline also announced in October that travelers will now have the option to take the mandatory Hawaiian COVID-19 test from home.

Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic airline filed for bankruptcy in New York on August 4. It was the second Virgin Group airline to file for bankruptcy protection, as Virgin Australia suffered a similar fate in April.

British Airways cracked the top 10 in AirlineRatings.com's 2021 list, even as one of the carrier's planes set a new speed record between New York and London thanks to a powerful storm earlier this year.

While Cathay Pacific Airway made the list for its safety innovations and standards, the Hong Kong-based company cut jobs from its mainline carrier and shutting down its regional airline, Cathay Dragon, completely.

Alaska Airlines continues to lead the way in terms of safety, introducing a variety of touch-free options designed to prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus, including pre-ordering meals, printing bag tags to avoid check-in kiosks and more.

Etihad Airways launched 'Etihad Wellness," an expanded and more comprehensive health and hygiene program and customer guide. This builds on the stringent measures already put in place by the airline to deal with COVID-19.

"EVA" stands for Evergreen Airways and is a carrier based at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. The airline has a spotless safety record and even boasts flights to nowhere to give travelers a taste of normalcy.

One of the safest in the world, Emirates has gone without a crash in the 30 years the airline has been in existence.

After being named the world's best airline overall by AirlineRatings.com in 2019, Singapore Airlines recently announced it would add a second non-stop route to New York that will become the world's longest flight, clocking in at nearly 19 hours.

Air New Zealand takes safety very seriously, with officials saying it-along with many other carriers-could require coronavirus vaccinations before the majority of international flights resume.

Qatar Airways has made the list of safest airlines once again, and the carrier's senior vice president Mark Drusch spoke with TravelPulse's Rich Thomaselli about what the future holds for the Middle East-based airline.

The Australian airline has been a leader in the development of Future Air Navigation System; real-time monitoring of its engines across its fleet; automatic landings using Global Navigation Satellite System and more.