It’s been a tough period for airlines, with several high-profile tragedies captivating the world. Yet, with only 21 fatal accidents out of over 27 million flights, should you be petrified the next time you set foot on a plane?
Nope – especially if you are flying on the world’s safest airlines.
Unfortunately, none of the 10 safest airlines call America home, which is unsurprising considering the only lists that U.S. airlines typically top are awards like “least comfortable seating” or “most inedible food.”
According to aviation ranking website Airline Ratings‘ annual safety ranking, the least fatal airlines are:
1. Qantas: The airline continues to top the aviation safety chart, which is not surprising given it has yet to record a fatality. Much of this safety success comes from the airline’s dedication to testing new technologies, such as real-time engine monitoring via satellite and as a proponent of the next-gen Future Navigation System.
2. Air New Zealand: Perhaps Hobbit nation is benefiting from some of that Middle Earth magic, with a raft of Lord of the Rings stars capturing passenger attention for the usually-ignored safety video. Whatever it is, it’s working – the nation’s flag carrier has a stellar safety record.
3. Cathay Pacific: The third safest airline also hails from across the Pacific, and enjoy some of the newest aircraft in its fleet. A modern fleet is essential to ongoing safe operations in aviation.
4. British Airways: England’s national airline posts impressive results, a point of pride for the only European airline in the top five.
5. Emirates: The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates is consistently one of the largest purchases of new equipment in the world, and is able to manage being one of the top ten global carriers by passenger volume without sacrificing safety.
The remainder of the top five safest full-fare airlines are: Etihad Airways, EVA Air, FinnAir, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines.
On the no-frills side, there’s often a perceived threat as far as cutting corners on safety to reduce costs and keep fares low. The report’s analysis identified the safest low-fare airlines as: Aer Lingus, Alaska Airlines, Icelandair, Jetstar, Jetblue, Kulula.com, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook, TUI Fly and Westjet. Each of these airlines passed a thorough global safety audit known as an International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit.
Overall, 50 airlines scored three stars or less out of seven, and the least safe airlines scored only one star: Agni Air, Kam Air, Nepal Airlines, Scat and Tara Air.
The rankings were determined after analyzing government audits alongside the airlines’ own safety reports. The experts also considered “operational history, incident records and operational excellence to arrive at its top ten safest airlines.”