The safest airlines to fly in 2017

According to a new report, it has never been safer to fly than it is right now.

In fact, despite some very high-profile incidents over the past few years, the number of airplane crashes has been steadily decreasing over the last 20 years, according to a recent report released by Australian-based aviation group AirlineRatings.com.

For it’s annual ranking. AirlineRatings.com surveyed 425 airlines to come up with the top 20 best companies for consumer protection.

To rank the airlines, the group used a variety of factors, including audits from aviation regulators, government audits, each airline’s crash and serious incident record, profitability and age of the fleet.

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The safest airlines to fly in 2017

According to the report, for the fourth year in a row, the safest airline to fly is Australian carrier Qantas. 

“Over its 96-year history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted by the British Advertising Standards Association as the industry’s most experienced carrier,” the AirlineRating.com report stated.

Here’s a look at the other ‘safest’ airlines that made the top 20 list, in alphabetical order:

• Air New Zealand
• Alaska Airlines
• All Nippon Airways
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• EVA Air
• Finnair
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Japan Airlines
• KLM
• Lufthansa
• Scandinavian Airline System
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss
• United Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Virgin Australia

‘The AirlineRatings.com top twenty have always been at the forefront of safety innovation and launching of new aircraft and these airlines have become a byword for excellence,’ AirlineRatings.com editors wrote in the release.

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Top 10 safest low-cost airlines

The group also named its top 10 safest low-cost airlines for 2017.

Here’s the list in alphabetical order:  

• Aer Lingus
• Flybe
• HK Express
• Jetblue
• Jetstar Australia
• Jetstar Asia
• Thomas Cook
• Virgin America
• Vueling
• Westjet

‘Unlike a number of low-cost carriers, these airlines have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) which has over 1000 audit items and have excellent safety records,’ according to AirlineRatings.com.

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