As the world continues to mourn the tragic air crash that killed at least 270 people, a new report has identified the airlines considered the safest globally.
The disaster involved Air India flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick.
Of the 242 people on board, 241 lost their lives, with one passenger surviving against all odds.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a residential building, causing additional casualties on the ground.
The aircraft model had not been linked to any major accident prior to this.
Despite the grim backdrop, AirlineRatings.com has released its latest safety rankings.
Air New Zealand has been named the safest full-service airline in the world, while HK Express tops the list for low-cost carriers, reports Gulf News.
UAE-based airlines also featured prominently in the rankings.
Qatar Airways and Emirates share the third spot among full-service carriers, followed by Etihad Airways in fifth place.
Meanwhile, flydubai and Air Arabia have been listed among the safest low-cost airlines.
“It was extremely close again between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines. Whilst both airlines uphold the highest safety standards and pilot training, Air New Zealand continue to have a younger fleet than Qantas which separates the two,” said AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen.
“The three-way tie for third place was because we simply could not separate these airlines. From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size, and number of incidents, their scores were identical,” she added.
The rankings are based on several criteria, including serious incidents in the past two years, fleet age and size, number of incidents, fatalities, profitability, IOSA certification, ICAO audit results, and the skill and training of pilots. Insights from check pilots and aviation experts also influence the results.
“It is essential to evaluate all these factors in the appropriate context. For instance, an airline operating only 100 aircraft experiencing three incidents raises greater concern than an airline with 800 aircraft experiencing six incidents. Additionally, financial instability within an airline can lead to significant operational challenges, automatically disqualifying it as a candidate. Similarly, any airline found at fault for a crash or failing its IOSA certification cannot be considered,” the company said.
Although air travel remains one of the safest modes of transport, the recent loss of over 200 lives in December 2024 highlights ongoing risks.
A safety study showed that from 2018 to 2022, the global death risk per flight boarding was approximately one in 13.7 million. In contrast, road accidents claimed an estimated 1.19 million lives in 2023, averaging over two deaths per minute.
“While these statistics underscore the relative safety of flying, the loss of over 200 lives in December 2024 alone significantly surpass the 72 fatalities recorded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2023,” the company said.