With 21 fatal accidents and 986 fatalities, 2014 was marred by some major commercial-aviation crashes. That said, flying is still one of the safest forms of transportation in the world. According to Australian consumer-aviation website AirlineRatings.com, the airline industry transported 3.3 billion passengers on 27 million flights last year.
Airline Ratings released a list of the world's 10 safest airlines selected from a pool of 449 carriers. To compile its list, the website evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, its result from an International Air Transportation Association safety audit, and whether the airline's country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's eight-point safety parameter. All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.
Interestingly, the carriers on the list hail exclusively from Asia, Australia, and Europe, with no carriers from the Americas and Africa making the cut. Airline Ratings didn't list the final finishing order for places two to 10, but did crown a winner.
Air New Zealand has made a fine recovery after a period of financial turmoil in the early 2000s. This renaissance culminated with AirlineRatings.com recently naming it the best airline in the world. Air New Zealand has not suffered any significant incidents in the past couple of decades.
Singapore Airlines is universally lauded for its high-quality service and efficient operations. It is also Business Insider's pick for the best airline in the world. The Changi Airport-based carrier has been accident-free since 2000.
As Finland's national airline, Finnair doesn't get as much attention in the media as some of its Scandinavian counterparts. But don't discount the Helsinki-based carrier. It has one of the best safety records in the business and hasn't suffered any major accidents since the 1960s.
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