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Emirates, Etihad Airways among world's safest carriers

Dubai - Along with Qantas, Emirates and Etihad, other airlines to make the top 20 in the survey covering 407 airlines, included Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, EVA Air, Finnair.

Two national carriers of the UAE, Emirates and Etihad Airways, are among the top 20 safest airlines in the world, according to an annual survey eagerly awaited by nervous fliers across the world.
The survey of the world’s biggest airlines has seen the Australian carrier Qantas named the world’s safest carrier for the third year running, while 10 carriers have been handed the lowest possible one-star rating.
Emirates, the airline with the world’s largest wide-body fleet, was ranked 7th alphabetically in the list of world’s safest carriers. Etihad Airlines followed close behind, ranked 8th in the list compiled byAirlineRatings.com, an independent plane safety and product rating website.
Emirates, which flies to over 140 cities in 80 countries, has a young and environmentally friendly fleet comprising entirely of wide-body aircraft — largely the popular Boeing 777 and 72 iconic Airbus A380 aircraft currently in service. Etihad operates more than 1,000 flights per week to over 120 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, with a fleet of over 120 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Along with Qantas, Emirates and Etihad, other airlines to make the top 20 in the survey covering 407 airlines, included Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, EVA Air and Finnair.
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“Our top 20 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft,” said Geoffrey Thomas, AirlineRatings.com editor. “These airlines are always at the forefront for excellence in the safety space,” he added. “However there is no question amongst the editors that Qantas remains a standout in safety enhancements and best practice.”
Qantas was praised for its “extraordinary fatality-free record in the jet era”, while Virgin Atlantic was the only UK airline to make it into the top 20.
In a separate ranking for low-cost airlines, two British carriers featured — Flybe and Thomas Cook.
issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com