Spirit Airlines: Safest Despite Financial Woes

Frontier Airlines has been identified as the safest airline in the United States for 2026, according to a recent WalletHub study that evaluated major carriers. Frontier achieved a top safety score of 28.34, bolstered by having the youngest fleet among major carriers with an average aircraft age of just 3.9 years in 2023. The airline, along with Spirit, also reported no passenger or crew injuries requiring medical attention between 2020 and 2025. In the same study, Spirit Airlines, despite navigating significant financial difficulties and a bankruptcy filing, was ranked as the second-safest carrier. Spirit Airlines impressively secured the second-safest position with a score of 26.98 and was additionally recognized as the most affordable, most reliable, and the best airline overall. Between 2020 and 2025, Spirit was one of only two national airlines to report no injuries requiring medical attention. Southwest Airlines placed fourth with a safety score of 25.37, noted for having the youngest fleet among the four largest US carriers in 2023, with an average aircraft age of 10.9 years.