Qantas Tops Ranking of Safest Airlines

If you're looking for the safest flying experience, you're best off looking Down Under. Australian airline Qantas was ranked the safest commercial carrier in the world by AirlineRatings.com. The airline was cited for its 63 years of fatality-free service — not one death since the beginning of the jet era. Joining Qantas in the top ten were primarily European and Middle Eastern airlines, including Virgin Atlantic and Emirates. There are no American carriers in the top ten, though there are several U.S. representatives among the 137 airlines to earn seven stars, the highest possible safety rating. Less fortunate were the three airlines to earn one-star ratings: Afghanistan's Kam Air, Suriname's Bluewing Airlines and Kazakhstan's Scat. They were joined at the bottom of the barrel by seven airlines that received two stars. Also according to the site's report, 2013 was a banner year for commercial flight: with 29 accidents and 269 deaths, it was the safest year since 1945, making it the safest year of the jet era.