Today’s blogpost is inspired by a
friend who asked, “John, what is the least safe airline”
I did some research and have
compiled a list of Air Crashes1 since the 1980s so that we can come
to some form of conclusion
Ranking of Carriers by Fatal Incidents
|
||||
Rank
|
Airline
|
Carrier’s HQ
|
#o f Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
Aeroflot
|
Russia
|
11
|
1157
|
2
|
American Airlines2
|
USA
|
9
|
639
|
3
|
China Airlines
|
Taiwan
|
6
|
640
|
4
|
Garuda Indonesia
|
Indonesia
|
6
|
310
|
5
|
Air France
|
France
|
5
|
484
|
6
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Turkey
|
5
|
194
|
7
|
Delta Air Lines
|
USA
|
5
|
231
|
8
|
Northwest Airlines
|
USA
|
4
|
189
|
9
|
Thai Airways
|
Thailand
|
4
|
243
|
10
|
Philippine Airlines
|
Philippines
|
4
|
76
|
11
|
Avianca
|
Columbia
|
4
|
503
|
12
|
Indian Airlines
|
India
|
4
|
349
|
13
|
Korean Air
|
South Korea
|
4
|
322
|
14
|
United Airlines
|
USA
|
3
|
145
|
15
|
Cubana de Aviación
|
Cuba
|
3
|
166
|
16
|
CAAC
|
China
|
3
|
144
|
17
|
Austral Lineas Aereas
|
Argentina
|
3
|
127
|
18
|
Saudi Arabia Airlines
|
Saudia Arabia
|
3
|
615
|
19
|
LOT Polish Airlines
|
Poland
|
3
|
271
|
20
|
Asiana Airlines
|
South Korea
|
3
|
83
|
21
|
Merpati Nusantara
|
Indonesia
|
3
|
72
|
22
|
China Eastern Airlines
|
China
|
3
|
59
|
23
|
Wideroe
|
Norway
|
3
|
57
|
Based on number of fatal accidents, Aeroflot comes up tops with 11 fatal accidents, followed by American Airlines (which includes subsidiaries such USAir and Air California). China Airlines, Garuda Airlines, Air France and Turkish Airlines rounds up the top 6.
Ranking of Carriers by Number of Fatalities
|
||||
Rank
|
Airline
|
Carrier's HQ
|
#o f Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
Aeroflot
|
Russia
|
11
|
1157
|
2
|
China Airlines
|
Taiwan
|
6
|
640
|
3
|
American Airlines
|
USA
|
9
|
639
|
4
|
Saudi Arabia Airlines
|
Saudia Arabia
|
3
|
615
|
5
|
Japan Airlines
|
Japan
|
2
|
544
|
6
|
Avianca
|
Columbia
|
4
|
503
|
7
|
Air France
|
France
|
5
|
484
|
8
|
Indian Airlines
|
India
|
4
|
349
|
9
|
Korean Air
|
South Korea
|
4
|
322
|
10
|
Garuda Indonesia
|
Indonesia
|
6
|
310
|
11
|
TAM Airlines
|
Brazil
|
2
|
298
|
12
|
Air Africa
|
Congo
|
1
|
297
|
13
|
Kenya Airways
|
Kenya
|
2
|
283
|
14
|
Nigeria Airways
|
Nigeria
|
1
|
275
|
15
|
LOT Polish Airlines
|
Poland
|
3
|
271
|
16
|
Gulf Air
|
Bahrain
|
2
|
263
|
17
|
Arrow Air
|
Canada
|
1
|
256
|
18
|
ADC Airlines
|
Nigeria
|
2
|
249
|
19
|
Thai Airways
|
Thailand
|
4
|
243
|
20
|
Malaysia Airlines
|
Malaysia
|
1
|
239
|
Again Aeroflot is up tops with
the most number of fatalities. China Airlines comes in second, leap frogging
American Airlines due to the 1994 Airbus A300 crash while landing in Nagoya
Japan which saw fatalities of 264 out of 271 passengers and crew members.3 American Airlines, Saudi Arabia Airlines and Japan Airlines rounds up the top 5.
Ranking of Carrier's Origin Country by Number of Fatal Incidents
|
||||
Rank
|
Carrier's HQ
|
# of Airlines with Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
USA
|
41
|
60
|
2576
|
2
|
Russia
|
19
|
30
|
2204
|
3
|
China
|
10
|
22
|
1620
|
4
|
Indonesia
|
5
|
13
|
744
|
5
|
Brazil
|
9
|
12
|
848
|
6
|
France
|
4
|
9
|
561
|
7
|
Congo
|
8
|
9
|
678
|
8
|
Nigeria
|
8
|
9
|
1088
|
9
|
Columbia
|
5
|
9
|
868
|
10
|
UK
|
8
|
9
|
308
|
11
|
Philippines
|
5
|
8
|
345
|
12
|
Spain
|
7
|
8
|
493
|
13
|
South Korea
|
2
|
7
|
405
|
14
|
Iran
|
6
|
7
|
529
|
15
|
Turkey
|
3
|
7
|
440
|
16
|
India
|
3
|
7
|
584
|
17
|
Thailand
|
3
|
6
|
334
|
18
|
Nepal
|
5
|
6
|
106
|
19
|
Pakistan
|
5
|
6
|
369
|
20
|
Argentina
|
3
|
5
|
214
|
Based on where the carrier is headquartered, USA has the highest number of fatal accidents. They also have a very high number of carriers with fatal accidents with a number of small and regional airlines in the mix. The rest of the top 5 are made up of 3 of the 4 BRIC countries and Indonesia which has had a low safety record among its carriers
Ranking of Carrier's Origin Country by Number of Fatalities
|
||||
Rank
|
Carrier's HQ
|
# of Airline with Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
USA
|
41
|
60
|
2576
|
2
|
Russia
|
19
|
30
|
2204
|
3
|
China
|
10
|
22
|
1620
|
4
|
Nigeria
|
8
|
9
|
1088
|
5
|
Columbia
|
5
|
9
|
868
|
6
|
Brazil
|
9
|
12
|
848
|
7
|
Indonesia
|
5
|
13
|
744
|
8
|
Congo
|
8
|
9
|
678
|
9
|
Saudia Arabia
|
1
|
3
|
615
|
10
|
India
|
3
|
7
|
584
|
11
|
France
|
4
|
9
|
561
|
12
|
Japan
|
1
|
2
|
544
|
13
|
Iran
|
6
|
7
|
529
|
14
|
Spain
|
7
|
8
|
493
|
15
|
Turkey
|
3
|
7
|
440
|
16
|
South Korea
|
2
|
7
|
405
|
17
|
Egypt
|
2
|
3
|
379
|
18
|
Pakistan
|
5
|
6
|
369
|
19
|
Philippines
|
5
|
8
|
345
|
20
|
Thailand
|
3
|
6
|
334
|
Based
on where the carrier is headquartered, USA has the highest number of
fatalities, followed by Russia, China, Nigeria and Columbia.
Ranking of Countries by Number of Fatal Accidents
|
|||
Rank
|
Country of Crash
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
USA
|
58
|
2597
|
2
|
Russia
|
27
|
1815
|
3
|
China
|
17
|
1144
|
4
|
Indonesia
|
13
|
843
|
5
|
Brazil
|
11
|
797
|
6
|
Congo
|
9
|
569
|
7
|
Spain
|
9
|
777
|
8
|
Philippines
|
8
|
345
|
9
|
Nepal
|
8
|
132
|
10
|
India
|
7
|
584
|
11
|
Nigeria
|
7
|
801
|
12
|
Thailand
|
7
|
619
|
13
|
France
|
6
|
410
|
14
|
Turkey
|
6
|
258
|
15
|
Columbia
|
6
|
481
|
16
|
UK
|
6
|
154
|
17
|
Canada
|
6
|
545
|
18
|
Venezuela
|
6
|
280
|
19
|
Japan
|
5
|
813
|
20
|
Pakistan
|
5
|
357
|
The above table lists the countries where the highest numbers of fatal accidents have occurred. Not surprisingly, countries where there are heavy air traffic such as USA, Russia, China, Indonesia and Brazil tops the list.
Ranking of Countries by Number of Fatalities
|
|||
Rank
|
Country of Crash
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
USA
|
58
|
2597
|
2
|
Russia
|
27
|
1815
|
3
|
China
|
17
|
1144
|
4
|
Indonesia
|
13
|
843
|
5
|
Japan
|
5
|
813
|
6
|
Nigeria
|
7
|
801
|
7
|
Brazil
|
11
|
797
|
8
|
Spain
|
9
|
777
|
9
|
Thailand
|
7
|
619
|
10
|
India
|
7
|
584
|
11
|
Saudi Arabia
|
2
|
576
|
12
|
Congo
|
9
|
569
|
13
|
Canada
|
6
|
545
|
14
|
Columbia
|
6
|
481
|
15
|
Iran
|
5
|
418
|
16
|
Taiwan
|
5
|
416
|
17
|
France
|
6
|
410
|
18
|
Kazakhstan
|
3
|
370
|
19
|
Pakistan
|
5
|
357
|
20
|
Indian Ocean
|
2
|
354
|
If you list the countries by number of fatalities,
Japan enters the top 5 due to Japan Airlines Flight 123 in 1985, which was the
deadliest single-aircraft accident in history with 520 fatalities on a flight
with 524 people. 4
Ranking of Year by Number of Fatal Accidents
|
|||
Rank
|
Year
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
2011
|
20
|
479
|
2
|
2010
|
20
|
808
|
3
|
2009
|
16
|
721
|
4
|
1988
|
16
|
662
|
5
|
1996
|
15
|
1792
|
6
|
1982
|
15
|
845
|
7
|
1989
|
15
|
1108
|
8
|
2007
|
14
|
745
|
9
|
1993
|
13
|
565
|
10
|
1987
|
12
|
723
|
11
|
1999
|
12
|
441
|
12
|
1992
|
12
|
793
|
13
|
1980
|
12
|
1069
|
14
|
1983
|
12
|
719
|
15
|
1985
|
11
|
1548
|
16
|
2008
|
11
|
496
|
17
|
2002
|
11
|
631
|
18
|
1997
|
11
|
912
|
19
|
2013
|
10
|
195
|
20
|
1994
|
10
|
843
|
Since 1980, the worst year on record with the most number of fatal accidents is 2011, followed by 2010 in second place. This is in line with the trend where we see increased number of flights every year.
Ranking of Year by Number of Fatalities
|
|||
Rank
|
Year
|
# of Fatal Accidents
|
# of Fatalities
|
1
|
1996
|
15
|
1792
|
2
|
1985
|
11
|
1548
|
3
|
1989
|
15
|
1108
|
4
|
1980
|
12
|
1069
|
5
|
1997
|
11
|
912
|
6
|
2000
|
10
|
873
|
7
|
1982
|
15
|
845
|
8
|
1994
|
10
|
843
|
9
|
1998
|
10
|
840
|
10
|
2010
|
20
|
808
|
11
|
1992
|
12
|
793
|
12
|
2006
|
9
|
787
|
13
|
2005
|
10
|
769
|
14
|
2007
|
14
|
745
|
15
|
1987
|
12
|
723
|
16
|
2009
|
16
|
721
|
17
|
1983
|
12
|
719
|
18
|
1991
|
9
|
681
|
19
|
1988
|
16
|
662
|
20
|
2002
|
11
|
631
|
However, if you were to compare by number of fatalities, the 2010s do not appear in the top 20 list. this shows that despite increasing air travel, our safety record appears to be improving.
In conclusion, air travel has become a lot of safer since the 1980s and we should quit worrying.
L.A.M.
PS: You can download the raw data from here.
1 Excludes cases where airplane crash is due to hijacking, missile attacks and bombings. Also excludes crashes where there are no
fatalities
2 Includes acquired subsidiaries such as USAir and Air California
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Airlines_Flight_140
4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Airlines_Flight_123
5 Data compiled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_commercial_aircraft
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