World’s safest airlines for 2018 named

Image: Qantas via AFP Relaxnews

Attention nervous flyers: a new report has identified the world’s safest airlines for 2018, with Qantas Airways getting a special mention.

In the newest edition of Airlineratings.com’s annual safest airlines list, analysts identified the top 20 airlines with the best safety records, taking into consideration audits from governing aviation bodies and governments; airline crash and serious incident records; and fleet age.

Among the top performers are British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Japan Airlines, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas, which received a special nod for an exceptional performance over a 97-year history.

“Australia’s Qantas has continued its remarkable safety record of no fatalities, or hull losses, in the jet era,” analysts point out.

Added Airlineratings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas in a statement: “It is extraordinary that Qantas has been the lead airline in virtually every major operational safety advancement over the past 60 years and has not had a fatality in the jet era.”

The list follows on the heels of a pair of reports out of the Netherlands which declared 2017 to be the safest year in aviation history. According to the Aviation Safety Network, last year saw just 10 fatal accidents, which resulted in 44 deaths.

Framed another way, the chances of dying in a plane crash are now one in 16 million, added aviation consultancy group To70.

At the other end of the spectrum, the airlines with the worst safety records include Air Koryo, Bluewing Airlines, Buddha Air, Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, Trigana Air Service and Yeti Airlines.

Here are the top 20 airlines with the best safety records, listed in alphabetical order: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.

Top 10 safest low-cost airlines 2018 in alphabetical order: Aer Lingus, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue, Jetstar Australia, Thomas Cook, Virgin America, Vueling and Westjet. JB

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