AirlineRatings.com, the airline safety and product rating website launched in June 2013, has announced its top ten safest airlines and top ten safest low-cost airlines for 2015 from the 449 airines that it monitors.
Top of the list again is Qantas, which has a fatality free record in the jet era. Making up the remainder of the top ten in alphabetical order are: Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
AirlineRatings.com’s rating system takes into account a range of factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies such as the FAA and ICAO as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record. The editorial team also examined each airline’s operational history, incident records and operational excellence to arrive at its top ten safest airlines.
Responding to public interest, the AirlineRatings.com editors also identified their top ten safest low-cost airlines. These are, in alphabetical order: Aer Lingus, Alaska Airlines, Icelandair, Jetblue, Jetstar, Kulula.com, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook, TUI Fly, and Westjet.
Unlike a number of low-cost carriers, these airlines have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) audit and have excellent safety records.
Of the 449 airlines surveyed 149 have the top seven-star safety ranking, but almost 50 have just three stars or less. Four airlines only achieved one star for safety from AirlineRatings.com. These are: Kam Air, Nepal Airlines, Scat, and Tara Air.
In making their decision, AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 94-year history Qantas has amassed an extraordinary record of firsts in safety and operations and is now accepted as the world’s most experienced airline.
