Current Events

Planning to Fly Air India? Think Again!
Safety Watchdog Names Air India 3rd Most Dangerous Airline in the World

HUFFINGTON POST, et al

 

 

 

The flying experience may vary from person to person, but according to the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (“JACDEC“), there are some airlines that routinely performed better than others in 2012.

The German watchdog for airline safety has developed a Safety Index which takes into account how long the airlines have been operating, the time since the airline lost its last aircraft, as well as the total number of aircraft destroyed since 1983 -- the year the company started monitoring airlines.

Their study has found that Air India is the 3rd most dangerous airline in the world, right behind China Airlines (the worst) and Brazil’s TAM Airlines (the 2nd worst).

Airlines in Europe, New Zealand and Hong Kong scored the highest in terms of safety.

When it came to airlines from North America, it was low-cost carriers, not national airlines, which cracked the list's top 20 ranking. JetBlue ranked 14th on the list of the world's biggest 60 airlines, while Calgary-based WestJet edged in at 19 when it came to safety. Both airlines have yet to record any fatalities or crashes but have also been operating fewer years when compared with larger carriers like United, Air Canada or Southwest Airlines.

In total, 2012 saw a total of 496 fatalities on commercial passenger flights last year, two fewer than in 2011, reports the Daily Telegraph. The numbers echo the statement that 2012 was a good year for airline safety, with the Aviation Safety Network citing that flying is consistently becoming less dangerous, as noted by the International Business Times.

“Since 1997, the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline, probably thanks to the continuing safety-driven efforts by international aviation organizations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry,” said ASN President Harro Ranter.

But that's not to say the year was incident-free.

Last year's worst accident happened on June 3 after a Dana Air MD-83 crashed while approaching Lagos, Nigeria, killing 153 on board and 10 on the ground, according to CNN.

Below are JACDEC’s annual rankings, based on information collected, which includes:

• "Number of Years Without Fatal Events",
• "The Year The Airline Began",
• "The Number of Accidents or Incidents",
• "The Number of Aircraft Lost",
• "The Number of Fatalities and Injuries",
• "The Number of Millions of Miles Flown",
• "The Number of Passengers Carried Each Year",
• "The Number of Aircraft in the Fleet",
• "The Age of Aircraft in the Fleet",
• "The Maintenance Standards".

THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS AIRLINES

1   China Airlines
2    TAM Airlines
3    Air India
4    Gol Air Transport
5    Korean Air
6    Saudi Arabian
7    Turkish Airlines
8    Thai Airways International
9    South African Airways
10  SkyWest Airlines 


THE WORLD’S SAFEST AIRLINES

1    Finnair
2    Air New Zealand
3    Cathay Pacific
4    Air Emirates
5    Etihad Airways
6    EVA Air
7    TAP Portugal
8    Hainan Airlines
9    Virgin Australia
10   British Airways

 

January 11, 2013

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