Ranking
Safest Airlines in the Middle East 2026
Every airline we cover whose home country is in the Middle East, from the Gulf hubs to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran. Turkish airlines are on our Europe list and EgyptAir counts as African, so neither appears here. Scores combine the accident record over the last 20 years with the regulator, fleet, serious incidents and network.
Updated · Scores update with each page
The ranking
Etihad Airways
Etihad has never had a fatal accident or lost an aircraft, and it flies a modern widebody fleet under an FAA Category 1 regulator. A few turbulence injuries, a 2020 low-approach incident at Abu Dhabi and the 2026 Iran war keep it below the top tier.
Score 87, grade AQatar Airways
Qatar Airways has never had a fatal accident and has not lost an aircraft in flight. A 2015 take-off strike at Miami, turbulence injuries and missile attacks on Doha during the 2026 Iran war keep it just below the very top.
Score 87, grade AAir Arabia
Air Arabia, the Sharjah low-cost group that includes Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Egypt, has never had a fatal accident and flies only Airbus A320-family jets. A 2018 take-off in the wrong direction at Sharjah and the 2026 war around its UAE hubs hold the score back.
Score 84, grade BOman Air
Oman Air has never had a fatal accident or written off an aircraft, and it now flies a young fleet of Boeing 787s and 737 MAX 8s. Points go for an A330 it flew for Qatar Airways in 2024, when turbulence seriously injured 24 passengers, and for a home region still covered by an EASA conflict-zone bulletin.
Score 84, grade Bflynas
flynas, Saudi Arabia's largest low-cost airline, has never had a fatal accident or lost an aircraft, and nine in ten of its jets are A320neos. Against that, an unstable approach ended in a runway excursion at Riyadh in 2024, and Houthi strikes hit Riyadh and Abha airports, both on its network, in October 2026.
Score 83, grade BEmirates
In more than 40 years, no passenger has died in an Emirates accident, and the all-widebody fleet is modern. A 2016 hull loss, a near-miss over Dubai in 2021 and missile and drone attacks on the Gulf in 2026 keep it below the very top.
Score 81, grade BEl Al Israel Airlines
El Al has had no fatal passenger accident in the jet age; its last fatal accident was a 1992 cargo crash in Amsterdam caused by a Boeing pylon design flaw. Its security is unusually thorough. Points go for ageing 737-800s and 777s and for wars that closed Israeli airspace in 2025 and 2026.
Score 80, grade BGulf Air
Gulf Air has not had a fatal accident since flight GF072 crashed off Bahrain in August 2000, killing all 143 on board, and it now flies Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A320-family jets. Its weak points are a run of runway incidents abroad and a home airport that closed for almost six weeks in the 2026 Iran war.
Score 80, grade BSaudia
Saudia, the Saudi national airline, has not had a fatal crash since 1996 and flies a mostly modern fleet. But it has written off eight aircraft since 2008, several of them on aircraft leased from other airlines, and in October 2026 Houthi strikes hit Abha and Riyadh airports, both on its network.
Score 75, grade Bflydubai
flydubai flies one of the youngest fleets in the region, and the Dubai regulator has FAA Category 1 status. But the 2016 Rostov-on-Don crash killed all 62 on board, and on 30 September 2026 a fight on the flight deck of FZ1073 sent a 737 MAX into a steep dive.
Score 73, grade BMahan Air
Mahan Air has no fatal accident on record. But it has been under a US export denial order since 2008 and Treasury sanctions since 2011, it flies old Airbus jets and smuggled Boeing 777s, it has no IOSA audit, and its home airspace was struck in 2026.
Score 49, grade DIran Air
Iran Air's last fatal crash was a Boeing 727 at Urmia in 2011 (78 killed), and it has written off four Fokker 100s since 1998. US sanctions have kept it from buying parts and new aircraft for most of 15 years, the EU bars two of its types, and Iranian airspace was a war zone in 2026.
Score 44, grade D
Which airlines are on this list
The rule is the airline's home country, the country that issues its operating certificate and is home to its head office. We include the Gulf states (the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman), Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran, plus Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq when we cover an airline from them. Turkey is left out because our European ranking already counts it, and Egypt because it is in Africa. Air Arabia counts once, under Sharjah, even though its page also covers Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Egypt.
How the order is built
Each airline is scored on five factors. The accident record carries 40%: fatal accidents and lost aircraft over the last 20 years, measured against how much the airline flies. Regulatory oversight counts for 20%, serious incidents and fleet for 15% each, and the network, including conflict zones on the routes, for 10%. The list is those scores sorted from the highest down, so when we update a page the order here moves with it. Factors and thresholds are on how we score airlines.
What the top Middle Eastern airlines have in common
Most airlines near the top have never had a fatal accident: Qatar Airways, Etihad, Oman Air, flynas and Air Arabia among them, and Emirates has had no passenger deaths since 1985. They fly young fleets and are IOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary, and most answer to regulators with FAA FAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary status (Oman is not on the FAA list only because no Omani airline flies to the US). The gaps between them come from single events: the Emirates 777 lost at Dubai in 2016, the 2015 take-off strike at Miami for Qatar Airways, the 2024 Runway excursionWhen an aircraft leaves the runway surface during take-off or landing, either off the end (an overrun) or off the side (a veer-off).More in the glossary at Riyadh for flynas.
El Al has had no fatal passenger accident in the jet age and runs unusually thorough security, but its fleet includes older 737-800s and 777s and Israeli airspace closed during the wars of 2025 and 2026. Saudia has not had a fatal crash since 1996 but has Hull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary several aircraft since 2008, and flydubai carries the 2016 Rostov-on-Don crash in its 20-year window.
The two Iranian airlines sit far below the rest. Iran Air and Mahan Air have flown under US sanctions for well over a decade, which limits parts and new aircraft, and Iranian airspace was struck in 2026.
What the score does not tell you
The 2026 war hit almost every airline on this list, through closed airspace, cancelled routes and strikes on airports. It counts on the network factor, but it cannot tell you whether a particular route is open next week. Check the airline's notices and your government's travel advice before you book, and look up your flight number for the aircraft type and its own score.
Questions
What is the safest airline in the Middle East?
The airline at the top of this list has the highest score we give a Middle Eastern airline right now. The Gulf carriers near the top are close together, so treat them as a group. Each airline page shows which factor separates them, usually a single Hull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary or serious incident.
Is it safe to fly Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad?
Their records are strong. No passenger has died in an Emirates accident since 1985, and Qatar Airways and Etihad have never had a fatal accident. All three fly modern widebody fleets under regulators with FAA FAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary status. What holds them back is a few incidents and the 2026 war in the region, both covered on their pages.
Is it safe to fly in the Middle East during the conflict?
Airlines and regulators close routes and airspace when attacks are likely, and EASA publishes conflict-zone bulletins for the region. Missile and drone attacks hit the Gulf in 2026, and Houthi strikes hit Saudi airports in October 2026. Check your airline's notices before you fly, and read the network section of its page.
Why are Iran Air and Mahan Air rated so much lower?
US sanctions have kept both from buying new aircraft and parts for years, so they fly older jets. The EU bars two Iran Air aircraft types, Germany, France and Italy banned Mahan Air in 2019, and Mahan has no IOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary audit. Iran Air's last fatal crash was in 2011.
Why is Turkish Airlines not on this list?
We count Turkey as part of Europe for our regional rankings, so Turkish Airlines and Pegasus appear in the [European ranking](/rankings/safest-airlines-europe). Each airline is listed in one region only.
Is EgyptAir a Middle Eastern airline?
Egypt is often grouped with the Middle East, but it lies in Africa, and we keep this list to Western Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. [EgyptAir](/airlines/egyptair) has its own page and appears in the [world ranking](/rankings/safest-airlines) when its score is high enough.