Airline Safety

A common and obvious question most travel agents will ask you will be what airline, if any, you have as a preference to fly on your trip.  90% of the time the response is either the cheapest or one that won’t crash.

There is no question that flying is a safe way to travel.  Despite this even the most frequent traveller is likely to breathe a sigh of relief when the plane comes to a safe stop (despite efforts to look uninterested).

Despite the fact that flying is a very safe way to travel there are considerations to make depending on the airline you are flying.

Which airlines are ‘safe’

Airlines operating in developed countries will usually have high safety standards by which they operate and the chances of anything going wrong are fairly slim.  The safety standards imposed by the European Union are a good example of authorities’ efforts to increase the safety of passengers flying within its air space (banning Garuda Indonesia in their airspace in the process).

According to average statistics from the top 25 airlines (with best safety records) you have a around a 1 in 13 million chance of dying due to a plane crash.  Not bad odds.

But are you safe on that airline whose name you can’t pronounce and cost less to fly than a greyhound bus pass?

Dangers increase when travelling in developing countries where safety standards are sometimes as low as the average local wage.  While the national airline might just shape up safety wise (thougn not always)!, domestic carriers in developing countires are often pretty loosely run.  It can be worth checking out the safety record of any carrier you are unsure of.   Just remember statistically you have a far greater chance of being hurt in a car crash on the way to the airport than due to a plane crash.

How to check an airlines safety record?

Check these sites for further information on aircraft safety before you travel:

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (http://www.casa.gov.au/) For airlines in Australia

International Civil Aviation Organisation (http://www.icao.int/anb/fls/) For comprehensive lists of international airlines, including a list of ‘un roadworthy’ carriers

Airsafe (http://www.airsafe.com/) Another site with safety records of international carriers. The site also has top ten lists for airline safety.

Once you are in the air all you can do is be patient, listen to the safety instructions from the crew and hopefully enjoy whatever distractions in the way of in-flight entertainment there is on offer.

Also see surviving a long haul flight

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