Top 40 Safest Airlines in The World

The 2015 ranking presents an intriguing leaderboard with trends worth investigating further. This is not a solely safety index for 2015. It has a time-weighted history built in, providing long-term confidence for any passenger inquiring about the airline of their future route. This is a fantastic resource for getting peace of mind by utilizing objective facts.

Cathay Pacific Airways, the safest airline in the world according to JACDEC, is ranked first. Cathay Pacific is one of the top twelve airlines, with half of them based in Asia. Asia is a large area, but its airlines have gone a long way from being deemed outside the developed world aviation safety to being among the domain’s leaders. Emirates and Etihad of the United Arab Emirates, EVA Air of Taiwan, Hainan of China, and All Nippon Airways of Japan, as well as the Index’s top, Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong, are among these names.

As many talk of the Asian century, it’s particularly pleasing to see strong airlines building reputations of safety. This bodes will for aviation patronage through the region, thus magnifying the region’s ability to grow.

Traditionally safe airlines are also included in the top ten. Air Canada, KLM of the Netherlands, Qantas of Australia, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa of Germany, and British Airways are all among the top 15 airlines. Surprisingly, only one US airline, the lesser-known JetBlue Airlines, appears in the top 20, with all other US carriers falling outside the top 20.

Aviation safety is a constant concern, however technology has greatly improved aviation safety. Since the mid-1990s, the trend drop in fatalities each year has been dramatic, reaching a record low of less than 300 in 2013. The numerous catastrophes of Malaysian Flight 17 and Malaysian Flight 370 raised the bar in 2014. The 761 fatalities in 2014 were not unprecedented, with at least that number also dying in 2010. In 1985, there were 2,335 fatalities in aircraft accidents. Since then, there has been a substantial improvement in aviation safety.

One of the breakthroughs is TCAS, which uses radar data from other planes’ altitude and speed to alert and even overrule a plane’s height. The Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) provides realistic topography to the pilot to assist him avoid terrain hazards. Technology is also linked to wind speeds and even wind predictions, as well as runway safety warnings, among other things.

It was recently revealed that money is being invested in the development of pilotless aircraft technology. This would be the greatest important shift in aviation safety in history if achieved. Given the US government’s use of drones, it seems likely that this kind of equipment will someday make its way to commercial airlines.

The major problem for airlines is convincing the public to accept the safety of a jet without a pilot. Over the next 20 years, public opinion of this will become increasingly crucial.

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For the time being, a safety indicator like JACDEC shows that changes in aviation safety are positively impacting Asia, the world’s fastest developing area.