Frankfurt — Etihad and Emirates airlines have topped a global aviation ranking, rated the safest in an analysis by the Hamburg-based air accident agency JACDEC.
Germany's flagship airline Lufthansa came 14th in the global safety ranking of the 25 largest companies, according to the report appearing in the Aero International aviation magazine.
The report noted that 2022's international air traffic had been largely safe, after the lull due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, analysts said that new uncertainties have arisen following Russia's war on Ukraine.
In the rating, Russian airline Aeroflot was downgraded significantly, coming in 25th place, due to the illegal admission of Western-leased jets to the Russian register and the interrupted supply of aircraft spare parts in Russia because of sanctions.
Experts cited the crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 on March 21 as the most serious accident of the past year. All 132 people on board died.
In total, JACDEC recorded 19 air accidents with fatalities worldwide, in which a total of 233 people died, 60 more deaths than in 2021, when there were also significantly fewer flights.
The average for the past 10 years is 372 fatalities.
The JACDEC Risk Index is based on each airline's accident history over the past 30 years, the country-specific environment where it operates and specific airline risk factors.
Theoretically, an index value of 100 is achievable, but even the best airlines fall short of this.
The rating also considers the passenger kilometres flown by the airlines, as the further an airline flies without accident, the safer it is in the ranking.
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