Agency publishes list of world’s safest airlines
Air France, British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa are the safest airlines in Europe, according to the Geneva-based air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA), which this week published a list of the world's 10 most reliable carriers.
The safest US carriers are American Airlines and its associate American Eagle, together with Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.
Qantas, which used to be considered the world's safest airline, failed to make it into the top 10 this year after a string of widely publicised safety incidents over the past three years.
Japan Airlines was the only airline outside the US and Europe to make it into the top 10, although the rating agency did not place the airlines in any order.
ATRA said it used available information on 15 criteria, such as the average age of the aircraft used or the homogeneity of the fleet.
The agency explained that to understand airline safety, one needed not only to look at accident figures, but also "technical, human, organisational and external" elements.
World's 10 safest airlines (in alphabetical order)
Air France-KLM
AMR Corporation (American Airlines, American Eagles)
British Airways
Continental Airlines
Delta Airlines
Japan Airlines
Lufthansa
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways
By TravelMole Asia Pacific
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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