Major US air carriers barely made the list of safest airlines in 2024
The list of safest airlines is out. Which US air carriers are included? | Photo by Y S on Unsplash
No matter how much of an experienced traveler you are, the jitters (and the prayers to the aviation gods) before and during takeoff are most likely going to be your lifelong travel buddies. After all, no one can predict with certainty what might happen mid-air.
While there are various simple ways to somehow ease those nerves—such as listening to calm music or distracting yourself with a good book—nothing beats the “peace of mind” that comes with equipping yourself with relevant information.
How often does the airline update its fleet? How’s the aircrew training? Has any of its aircraft been involved in serious accidents or crashes lately? If so, what measures have been taken?
These are just some of the questions you should ponder over when picking a reputable airline to fly with. Luckily, Airline Ratings—an established airline safety and product rating review platform—has taken the guesswork out of the equation by recently revealing its top 25 safest airlines for 2024.
Only one US carrier made it to the world’s top 10 safest airlines in 2024 | Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
The list provides valuable insights into the safety records (and practices) of various airlines worldwide. “All airlines have incidents every day, and many are aircraft or engine manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. It is the way the flight crew handles these serious incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one,” wrote Airline Ratings.
Only one US carrier made it to the top 10
Considering how the United States has always been an industry leader, it’s fairly easy to assume that the country would dominate aviation as well. The results from Airline Ratings’ evaluation beg to differ, though.
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Among the 385 airlines it monitors from around the world, only four carriers from the US entered the top 25—Alaska Airlines at 10th, Hawaiian Airlines at 21st, American Airlines at 22nd, and United Airlines at 25th.
These placements were underwhelming in comparison with last year when the aforementioned airlines secured the 8th, 12th, 14th, and 19th spots, respectively. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines, which ranked 20th in 2023, did not earn a spot this year.
Asian companies dominated the list of safest airlines in 2024
Air New Zealand topped the list, narrowly surpassing runner-up Qantas by a point and a half. Virgin Australia placed third, while Middle East-based air companies—Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Emirates—ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth.
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Other Asian carriers that made the list were All Nippon Airways (7), Cathay Pacific Airways (9), Korean Air (12), Singapore Airlines (13), EVA Air (14), Turkey’s Turkish Airlines (16), and Japan Airlines (20).
But how credible is Airline Ratings?
Launched in June 2013, Airline Ratings has already been “used by millions of passengers” from over 190 countries and has become “the standard for safety and product rating” in the world of aviation.
In addition, its editorial team—which is responsible for the shortlisting—has bagged multiple accolades and has co-written over 28 industry books.
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