THAI officials said the rankings were based on accident data over the past 30 years and did not take into account other factors that provide a more accurate assessment of safety standards – for example flying years (52 in the case of THAI) and total flights.
JACDEC gathers safety records on accidents, fatalities, and “safety incidents” involving the 60 largest international airlines over the past 30 years, using a points system. THAI was ranked 53 in the latest report.
THAI got 0.316 points, calculated on five accidents and 309 casualties over 30 years. The most recent crash was in 1992, when 113 passengers and crew died when the aircraft crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu Airport. The airline has been accident-free for the past 14 years.
THAI’s official statement said: “Comparing number of accidents to number of flights (TG), the record was marginal…THAI has been in operation for 52 years and should not be compared with younger airlines.
“Moreover, [JACDEC] claims some facts are [sourced] from IATA’s Operational Safety Audit, which has certified THAI.”
Stressing safety was the airline’s top priority, the carrier said, adding that it was confident that its safety standards were up to scratch under the supervision of International Civil Aviation Organisation and Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation.
It added that THAI was among the first airlines to adopt the Safety Management System required by ICAO.
The safest airline, according to the survey, is Finnish Airlines, which has had no crashes in the past 30 years – which is as far back as the survey looks.
It is followed by Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Etihad, all with clean records.
Trailing at the bottom end of the list is China Airlines of Taiwan, which is recorded as having had eight crashes resulting in 755 deaths in the past 30 years.
Just how the rankings are worked out is opaque. For example, American Airlines has had twice as many crashes as THAI, with 587 fatalities, the most recent three years ago. Yet it ranks at 42 on the list, compared with 53 for Thailand.
JACDEC director Jan Richter explained that the organisation also takes into account the number of incidents in which a serious accident had “nearly occurred” in recent years.
For example, Air Berlin, despite having had no crashes in the past 30 years, ranks 23rd because of incidents such as the engine fire that caused an emergency landing in Phuket on December 20 last year.
Among Asian airlines, Cathay Pacific comes out best at number three, followed by Eva Air (6), Hainan Airlines (8), Singapore Airlines (30), Malaysian Airlines (35), China Eastern (36), Air China (43), Asiana (46), Japan Airlines (47), China Southern (48), THAI (53), Korean Air (56), Air India (58) and China Airlines in 60th and last place.