BANGKOK, 6 January 2020: Qantas Airways was again recognised as the safest airline in the world according to AirlineRatings.com that posted its top 20 list during the New Year.
Qantas topped the list followed by Air New Zealand and Taiwan’s Eva Airways. Singapore Airlines gained the sixth slot, and Cathay Pacific Airways was named ninth ahead of Virgin Australia in 10th place.
The top 20 safest airlines: Qantas, Air New Zealand, EVA Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM.
According to AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief, Geoffrey Thomas, these airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft.
“For instance, Australia’s Qantas has been recognised by the British Advertising Standards Association in a test case as the world’s most experienced airline,” Thomas noted.
AirlineRatings.com said it takes into account factors including audits by governing and industry bodies, crash and serious incident record, profitability and fleet age.
Meanwhile, OAG Aviation Worldwide named Garuda Indonesia as the most punctual airline in 2019 ahead of Panama’s Copa Airlines ranked second.
Japan’s Skymark Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Latam Airlines Group rounded out the top five.
Global airline passengers will double to 8.2 billion by 2037 thanks to economic growth and a swelling middle class, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
More than half of those fliers will come from the Asia-Pacific region, led by demand from countries like China and India.
About 4.7 billion people are expected to travel this year, 4% more than in 2019, IATA said in its latest assessment.
