Safety in the air: airlines with 7-star rankings and those without

The Australian airline Qantas topped the rankings of the safest airline carrier in 2013. It has been fatality free since it commenced its jet-era operation in the early 1950s.

Each year the website, www.AirlineRatings.com, assesses airlines across the globe on several criteria for safety and awards stars for rankings – seven stars is the highest ranking. Criteria include fatality crash records, audits from aviation agencies, and in-flight products (such as entertainment, seating, and food), reported CNN (January 9, 2014).

Other airlines receiving seven stars for safety include, in alphabetical order: Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Royal Jordanian, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. Of the 448 airlines that the website rated, 137 received a seven-star rating.

Airlines that were awarded only one star include Scat (a Kazakh airline), the Surinamese Bluewing Airlines, and the Afghan Kam Air (which I have flown – quite safely). Two stars were awarded to three airlines from Indonesia, one from Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, and Myanmar.

In 2013 the number of airline fatalities was low, according to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN). In fact, 2013 was the safest year for flying since 1945, with 269 deaths from 29 accidents. The ten-year average is 719 deaths from 32 accidents annually (for planes that carry more than 14 passengers). The number of airline fatalities has been declining due to more stringent safety regulations and inspections.

However, 20% of fatal airline accidents, but only around 3% of global aircraft departures, occurred in Africa, making it the least safe continent for flying. The worst accident in 2013 was in Russia on November 17 which killed all 44 passengers and six crew (the Tatarstan Airlines received four stars in the website rankings for 2013).

Not all airlines complete the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit. The airlines that do complete the audit (generally the major international airlines) have a 77% better safety record than those who haven’t completed the safety audit.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/09/travel/safest-airline-2013/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

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