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