Statistically speaking, air travel is the safest way to travel. While plane crashes may be publicized and sensationalized when they occur, the chances of an airplane crashing are very slim. Regardless of the plane’s size or whether it’s a private chartered flight with an owner of a private pilot license or a commercial passenger flight with hundreds on board, a plane crash does not occur as often compared to all other modes of transportation.
The terror attacks on September 11, 2001, have somehow instilled a newfound fear of flying among people, and understandably so. However, not to downplay the said attacks, air travel remains the safest way to travel. In the US alone, airline accidents are responsible for only 0.006 deaths per billion miles traveled, a larger number of those coming from smaller air taxis and private jets.
12 of the World’s Safest Commercial Airlines in 2021
When it comes to air travel, the following commercial airlines have been rated as the safest carriers all over the world. Although they have been ranked according to AirlineRatings.com’s safety standards, Geoffrey Thomas, the editor-in-chief of the website, claims that the differences between the airlines are very little, and they all stand out among the world’s commercial carriers.
Here are this year’s top safest airlines:
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Qantas
No surprise here. Qantas remains at the number one spot with a consistent and solid performance this past year, having no records of any fatal crashes. With its decades-old reputation of having the highest safety standards in any airline, Qantas is sure to remain one of the best airlines the world has ever seen.
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Qatar Airways
Beating its competition Etihad and Emirates, Qatar Airways lands its well-deserved second-place spot on this list with its consistent acquisition of newer and more modern aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.
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Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand is bumped down one spot by Qatar Airways, but at third place, it is still quite a contender as one of the world’s safest air carriers with newer planes from Boeing and Airbus as part of its fleet.
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Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines slides into the top five this year from holding the sixth spot last year. As the top placeholder for the world’s longest flights, Singapore Air holds only the highest safety standards, reflecting its country’s high living standards.
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Emirates
While the mega-carrier still uses the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 as part of its wide-body fleet, be prepared to see some changes in the near future as it is gearing up to add newer Boeing and Airbus models.
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EVA Air
From third last year down to six this year, the three-place drop still doesn’t take away from EVA Air as one of the world’s safest airlines. They have already put to pasture the older Boeing 747 models and have been using the newer Boeing 777-300ER and 787-9 Dreamliner for the past few years.
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Etihad Airways
From the number four spot last year, Etihad is still a top contender at seven this year. Their fleet comprises mostly newer Boeing planes — like the 787 Dreamliner — which far outnumber their Airbuses.
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Alaska Airlines
The only US airline that has made it into AirlineRating’s top ten safest airlines, Alaska Airlines has built a sub-fleet of Airbus A321neos with the Boeing 737 Max taking flight earlier this year.
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Cathay Pacific
In recent years, Cathay Pacific has worked on modernizing its entire fleet by acquiring planes like the Airbus A321neo and A350 XWB.
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British Airways
From failing to make it in the list last year to landing a spot in this year’s top ten, British Airways has proven its trustworthiness over the past year despite the pandemic. It has updated its fleet to the best next-generation planes, which was further sped up by the pandemic.
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Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
AirlineRating combined Virgin Australia (last year’s number 10) and Virgin Atlantic (12th place last year) in the 11th spot. Virgin Atlantic is renewing its entire fleet in the UK, while Virgin Australia recently changed its ownership to Bain Capital.
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Hawaiian Airlines
Last but definitely not the least on our list is Hawaiian Airlines, which falls a spot from last year’s eleventh place. It has expanded in recent years to include destinations like Boston and has acquired a couple of next-generation planes for its fleet, including the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and the Airbus A321neo.
Rounding off AirlineRating.com’s list of top 20 safest airlines are:
- Southwest Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- American Airlines
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines
- Finnair
- Lufthansa
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- United Airlines
Knowing how airlines uphold the highest safety standards in aviation should give you peace of mind the next time you travel, even if there’s a pandemic going on.