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).

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

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...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

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