The Vietnamese carrier ranked 19th on the list. Top positions were held by Etihad Airways of the UAE and Air New Zealand, followed by Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong (China), Qantas of Australia, Qatar Airways and Emirates of the UAE.

To compile the annual ranking, AirlineRatings.com monitored 320 airlines worldwide, assessing a wide range of factors including incident and accident records, pilot training, international safety audits and airline transparency.

Dinh Van Tuan, deputy general director of Vietnam Airlines, said the carrier’s continued presence among the world’s Top 25 safest full-service airlines in 2026 reflects the growing international standing of Vietnamese aviation.

He added that with safety, service quality and internationally aligned governance standards as its foundation, Vietnam Airlines continues to strengthen air connectivity between Vietnam and global markets, contributing to the country’s image as a safe and reliable destination.

Vietnam Airlines was the first airline in Vietnam to receive the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and has maintained the certification continuously since 2006.

The airline’s Safety Management System (SMS), established in 2007, meets high international safety standards and has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) as a benchmark model for other domestic operators to develop and refine their safety documentation.

Vietnam Airlines marks milestone with first direct air route to Northern Europe

VOV.VN - Vietnam Airlines has officially launched a direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Copenhagen, marking Vietnam’s first nonstop air link to Northern Europe.