Greek Airline Tops European Safety Index; Ryanair Ranks Second

Aegean Airlines has been named the safest airline in Europe, according to AirAdvisor's 2026 European Safety Index. The Greek carrier achieved a score of 89 out of 100, earning full marks for its safety record with no qualifying accidents in the past decade.

The ranking evaluated 20 European airlines—ten traditional carriers and ten low-cost operators—using flight volume data from Eurocontrol for 2025. The assessment considered six categories: operational safety, fleet, certification and audits, pilot training, and financial stability, with data spanning from 2016 to 2025.

Aegean Airlines received a perfect score of 40 out of 40 for its safety record and five out of five for financial stability. The airline also scored 13 out of 15 for operational safety, noted for its Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) and Safety Management System (SMS), and earned nine out of ten for its modern fleet.

Ryanair secured second place with a score of 86 out of 100. The budget airline maintained an excellent safety record between 2016 and 2025, scoring 38 out of 40. It incurred a two-point deduction for two non-fatal incidents in 2023: a nose wheel collapse upon landing in Dublin in April and a collision with an airport passenger assistance truck at Stansted Airport in October. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Ryanair's operational safety systems, including its use of operational flight data monitoring, contributed to a score of 13 out of 15 in that category. However, an incident over the summer where a passenger was partially sucked out of a window was not included in the research period.

Austrian Airlines, Norwegian, and SunExpress rounded out the top five, ranking third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Low-cost carriers performed well in the rankings, with three appearing in the top five. On average, traditional airlines scored 82.8 out of 100, while low-cost carriers averaged 79.2 out of 100. The research also indicated that low-cost carriers often operate younger fleets.

Anton Radchenko, founder and CEO of AirAdvisor, commented, "A young fleet can bring technological and efficiency advantages, but aircraft age should never be treated as a safety rating on its own. An older aircraft that is properly maintained can continue operating safely for decades."

In the previous year's report, which analyzed accidents from 2005 to 2024 across 15 European airlines, Aegean Airlines also secured the top position. Norwegian Air Shuttle ranked second, followed by Volotea.