Air Europa sets new safety benchmark with Seven Star PLUS Safety Rating

AirlineRatings is pleased to announce that Air Europa has become the first airline in Europe to achieve the Seven Star PLUS safety rating. The distinction recognises its strong commitment to operational and onboard safety.

Available only to airlines already rated Seven Star, Seven Star PLUS is a mark of verified onboard cabin safety compliance achieved through independent audit. As the airline nears 40 years of flying, the achievement underscores why it ranks among the world's leading hybrid carriers.

The success of its recent onboard cabin safety audit sees Air Europa join a select group of Seven Star PLUS carriers, including Etihad Airways and Cathay Pacific.

Josh Wood, Safety and Service Quality Manager at AirlineRatings.com, said Air Europa demonstrated a high level of consistency across the flights assessed.

“What stood out was that regardless of flight length, the same high safety standards were applied and executed consistently. Situations involving turbulence were particularly well managed, with additional measures, such as locking the toilets, evident on every flight. Whilst these measures are not mandatory, they do represent an extra level of safety and this is precisely what we expect from a Seven Star PLUS Safety Rated airline.”

Wood added that the results also challenge a common misconception among passengers.

“There is sometimes a perception that low-cost or hybrid carriers compromise on safety. This is simply not the case. The Air Europa audit, along with others we have conducted, demonstrates that these airlines can in fact be leaders in onboard safety.”

CEO of AirlineRatings.com, Sharon Petersen, said, “We are delighted to recognise Air Europa with our Seven Star PLUS Safety Rating. Its accident-free history is further reinforced by a successful onboard cabin safety audit, giving passengers added reassurance that safety is consistently prioritised and verified, including at the frontline of passenger safety in the cabin. This is especially significant in modern air travel, where the leading cause of passenger injury is turbulence.”

So what does Seven Star PLUS actually mean?

Seven Star PLUS is a safety rating an airline earns, not one it can buy. To be eligible, an airline must already hold our seven star safety rating, the top of our scale. Only then can it put itself forward for the audit that leads to a Seven Star PLUS rating.

The airline invites our auditors aboard for an independent, anonymous assessment of its cabin crew safety compliance, observed under normal flight conditions across six flights. An airline earns Seven Star PLUS only if that audit goes well and stringent standards are met overall. Not every airline that sits it will clear it and a review audit will be conducted within the year. Whilst the airline pays for the service, it does not pay for the result. That distinction matters, because it means the rating reflects what our auditors actually found. An airline with a number of areas for improvement will simply retain their Seven Star safety rating.

The value in these audits sits with both the airline and the passenger. For the airline, the audit catches things early. It finds genuine cabin crew compliance gaps and helps close them before they ever become incidents or regulator findings. A safety team and a CFO both understand the value of catching a problem early. Earning the rating gives the airline a credential that carries weight precisely because it cannot be bought.

For travellers, Seven Star PLUS is a simple signal worth knowing. It marks an airline that already sits at the top of our safety rating, then opened its cabin operation to independent scrutiny and passed.

One thing to be clear about is that an airline without Seven Star PLUS is not unsafe, and it is not ranked below those that hold it. The PLUS indicates a mark of verified cabin safety compliance, earned by the airlines that have chosen to be tested and met the standard.

Why It Matters

With nearly 40% of passengers reporting anxiety or fear of flying, Seven Star PLUS provides a new level of reassurance. While traditional safety metrics focus on aircraft maintenance, operational excellence and regulatory compliance, this new rating highlights the human element specifically how safety is communicated, enacted, and felt onboard.

This initiative complements AirlineRatings mission: “Guiding you to the safest and best value airline for every journey.”

 For enquiries on participating in Airline Ratings safety ratings, please contact [email protected]

About Air Europa

From its main hub in Madrid, Air Europa serves destinations across the Americas and Europe with a fleet of 47 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 737 aircraft, boasting an average age of just 7.8 years. It is the third-largest Spanish airline, after Iberia and Vueling and the first to be recognised as a Seven Star PLUS safety rated airline.

This year, the airline will celebrate its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of continuous accident-free flying.

On Air Europa’s Seven Star PLUS achievement, José Salazar, Vice President of Safety and Compliance Monitoring commented, “Achieving the Seven Star PLUS Safety Rating is a milestone that highlights Air Europa’s strong safety culture and the exceptional dedication of our people. It reaffirms our commitment to providing the safest and most reliable experience for our passengers.”

 For enquiries or further details, please contact Safety and Quality Manager Josh Wood at [email protected].

* The audits are conducted by Airline Ratings’ own team and are independent of airline influence, ensuring the results reflect genuine passenger experience.