Top 10: safest airlines that have never had a plane crash

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (January 8, 2018): Top 10: world’s safest airlines that have never had a major accident.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, 2017 was the safest year on record in aviation history, as no fatal accidents with commercial passenger jets occurred (excluding propeller planes and cargo jets). And while USA President Trump took credit for that global safety record in one of his (in)famous tweets, airline accidents have actually been on a consistent global decline since more than 30 years, thanks to strict regulations and rigorous standards in the aviation industry. That said, some airlines are still better performing than others when it comes to safety standards, and that’s why the Australia-based aviation analysis website AirlineRatings.com released an annual list of the world’s 20 safest carriers, which are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft. Airlines that can present an impeccable safety record of zero fatalities in their history are very rare though. Here’s a closer look at 10 major global airlines (listed in alphabetical order) that have not had a plane crash in the modern jet era.

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ETIHAD AIRWAYS

Etihad Airways is the flag carrier and the second largest airline of the United Arab Emirates (after Emirates). Etihad, which started commercial operations in 2003, uses Abu Dhabi International Airport as its hub. The airline operates more than 1000 flights per week to over 120 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, with a fleet of more than 120 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Etihad has maintained a perfect safety record in its 15 years of flying passengers across the globe.

• Official website: Etihad Airways
• Other accolades: Etihad Airways features in my top 10 lists of the best airlines for longhaul Business Class, the most luxurious First Class suites in the sky, the world’s best airline lounges, the most delicious airline food, and the world’s most luxurious A380 First Class cabins.
• Review: read here my review of Etihad Airways’ First Class in an Airbus A380.
• Review: read here my review of Etihad Airways’ Business Class in an Airbus A330.
• Review: read here my review of Etihad Airways’ Business Class in a Boeing 777.

EVA AIR

EVA Air is the second largest Taiwanese airline (after China Airlines) and based at Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan. The privately owned carrier is a 5-star airline, rated by Skytrax, and flies to over 40 international destinations spread across 4 continents. EVA Air was founded in 1989 and has not suffered any hull losses, accidents, or fatalities since its establishment. The carrier currently operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, wit A330, A321 and B777 planes mainly used on passenger routes along with B747 And B777 freighter aircraft flown on cargo routes.

• Official website: EVA Air

FINNAIR

Finnair, which operates out of Helsinki Airport, is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines. Since it was founded over 90 years ago in 1923, the company has grown from a small airline to a strong and respected member of the international airline industry. The carrier flies over 10 million passengers per year to almost 80 destinations in Europe, Asia and North American aboard its modern fleet of Airbus, Embraer and ATR aircraft. With no fatal or hull-loss accidents in the modern jet area, Finnair is consistently ranked one of the safest airlines in the world.

• Official website: Finnair
• Other accolades: Finnair features in my top 10 lists of the world’s best airline lounges, and the best Business Class amenity kits in the sky.
• Review: read here my review of Finnair’s Business Class in an Airbus A350 XWB.
• Review: read here and here my reviews of  Finnair’s Business Class in an Airbus A330.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

Now in its 86th year of continuous service and operating more than 200 daily flights system-wide, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian also offers non-stop service to Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Having never suffered from fatal accident or a hull loss throughout its history, Hawaiian frequently tops the list of the world’s safest carriers. In addition, Hawaiian is also one of the airlines with the best on-time performance in the USA, as well as the with the fewest cancellations, oversales, and baggage handling.

• Official website: Hawaiian Airlines

JETBUE

The low-cost carrier Jetblue is the 6th largest airline in the USA, with its main base at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The company was founded in 1999 by Brazilian-American entrepreneur David Neeleman and based on the success formula of Southwest Airlines, although Jetblue tried to distinguish itself by offering a superior inflight entertainment system and more leg room in couch. Jetblue is now a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan, and carries more than 38 million customers a year to 101 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 1,000 daily flights aboard a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 and Embaer E190 planes.

• Official website: Jetblue

QANTAS

Founded in the Queensland outback in 1920, Qantas is the world’s 3rd oldest airline (behind KLM and Avianca) and has grown to be Australia’s largest domestic and international airline. Over its 97-year history Qantas has amassed an amazing record of firsts in safety and operations and is widely regarded as the world’s safest airline since it hasn’t suffered any accidents in the modern jet era. Qantas’ reputation for safety gained instant world-wide fame in 1988 because of the movie Rain Man, when Dustin Hoffman’s character claimed that ‘Qantas never crashes’. Australia’s flagship carrier is based in Sydney and flies to 80 destinations in more than 20 countries, using a fleet of modern Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

• Official website: Qantas
• Other accolades: Qantas features in my top 10 list of the world’s most luxurious A380 First Class cabins and the best First Class amenity kits.
• Review: read here my review of Qantas’ First Class in an Airbus A380.

QATAR AIRWAYS

Since its launch in 1997, Qatar Airways has earned many awards and accolades, becoming one of an elite group of airlines worldwide to have earned a 5-star rating by Skytrax. Qatar’s flagship carrier serves 150 international destinations across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania from its base at Hamad International Airport near Qatar’s capital Doha, using fleet of more than 180 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. As an industry leader in aviation safety, the airline has demonstrated a strong safety and security performance record. Back in 2003, it was the first airline to complete the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) audit with 100 per cent compliance.

• Official website: Qatar Airways
• Other accolades: Qatar Airways features in my top 10 lists of the best airlines for longhaul Business Class, the most delicious airline food, the world’s best airline Business Class lounges, the best inflight videos of all time, the world’s most luxurious A380 First Class cabins, the best Business Class amenity kits, and the best First Class amenity kits.
• Review: read here my review of Qatar Airways’s First Class in an Airbus A380.
• Review: read here my review of Qatar Airways’ Business Class in a Dreamliner.
• Review: read here my review of Qatar Airways’ Business Class in a Boeing 777.
• Review: read here my review of Qatar Airways’ Business Class in an A330.

RYANAIR

The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is Europe’s largest airline by scheduled passengers flown. Last year, the airline carried over 131 million customers on more than 2,000 daily flights from 86 bases, connecting over 205 destinations in 33 countries on a fleet of more than 400 Boeing 737 aircraft (with a further 240 Boeing 737’s on order). The airline has been characterised by its rapid expansion, a result of the deregulation of the aviation industry in Europe in 1997 and the success of its low-cost business model. Ryanair has a team of more than 13,000 highly skilled aviation professionals delivering Europe’s number one on-time performance, and an industry leading 32-year impeccable safety record.

• Official website: Ryanair

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

Founded more than 40 years ago, Southwest Airlines is now the USA’s largest domestic air carrier, operating more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Similar to Ryanair, Southwest operates an exclusive fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, making it the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide, with over 700 in service, each averaging six flights per day. The carrier has maintained an excellent safety record as not a single passenger has died as a result of an accident, although Southwest has lost two aircraft due to damage at landing beyond repair, and an occupant of a car was killed in 2005, as the vehicle was hit by one of carrier’s B737s who overran the runway in Chicago during a snow storm.

• Official website: Southwest Airlines

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 33 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. Today Virgin Atlantic carries 5.5 million customers annually, employs over 9000 people worldwide and operates a fleet of 39 aircraft serving 26 destinations across four continents from its bases at London’s Heathrow, London’s Gatwick, and Manchester airport. Alongside joint venture partner Delta Air Lines they operate the leading transatlantic network – offering up to 39 flights per day between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities. The Virgin-branded airline has not incurred a major accident since its launch in 1984.

• Official website: Virgin Atlantic
• Other accolades: Virgin Atlantic features in my top 10 list of the world’s best airline Business Class lounges.

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