Safety: World’s Safest Airlines 2021

Let’s just cut to the chase – here they are according to AirlineRatings.com

1. Qantas
2. Qatar Airways
3. Air New Zealand
4. Singapore Airlines
5. Emirates
6. EVA Air
7. Etihad Airways
8. Alaska Airlines
9. Cathay Pacific Airways
10. British Airways
11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. Southwest Airlines
14. Delta Air Lines
15. American Airlines
16. SAS
17. Finnair
18. Lufthansa
19. KLM
20. United Airlines

The editors analyze crashes, serious incidents, audits from aviation’s governing bodies and leading associations; government audits, and fleet age in making their determinations.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Strangely, they rather closely echo airlines that are generally highly regarded for their operations and service standards. No surprises there. It’s also interesting to note that in normal times, the top 10 or so, service Australia.

The odd thing is to co-list Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic, when Virgin Australia shares very little other than a branding license with the Atlantic namesake, and hasn’t flown internationally since around April 2020.