Taiwan's EVA Air ranked 8th in world's safest airlines

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Taiwanese airline EVA Air was ranked No. 8 on the world's safest full-service airlines for 2026 by AirlineRatings.com, while Starlux Airlines was ranked 11th, the airline rating website announced Tuesday.

EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) said the carrier has been ranked among the world's safest airlines for the 13th consecutive year, adding that the recognition is an affirmation of its employees' commitment to safety culture and adherence to standard operating procedures.

He said that the company will continue to improve its safety management systems and enhance risk prevention mechanisms.

Commenting on its first inclusion in the rankings, rival carrier Starlux said the recognition reflects its employees' dedication to flight safety and their rigorous execution of every operational detail.

Noting its relatively short five-year operating history, the airline cited the ranking website's assessment that its inclusion was exceptional for such a young carrier, praising Starlux for an approach to safety and transparency that it described as "exceptional."

The top 10 safest full-service airlines (as opposed to low-cost airlines) are Etihad of the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, Australia's Qantas, Qatar Airways, Emirates of the UAE, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Virgin Australia and Korean Air, according to AirlineRatings.com.

Boasting as the world's only airline safety and product rating website, the rankings consider incident rates adjusted for the total number of flights, fleet age, serious incidents, pilot training and international safety audits, according to the website, which added that airline transparency is also critical to the process.

It noted that it is placing greater emphasis on turbulence prevention this year, as it is the main cause of in-flight injuries.