The fact that traveling by air is very safe has now been proven many times over. But what are the safest types of aircraft in the world? We looked at the safety of each aircraft and also looked at other various lists of safe types (for example, JACDEC). These are our top 12 safest commercial aviation aircraft:
The Airbus A319 medium-haul jet took first place. This had its first flight in 1995 and even years later there was only one total loss of an aircraft from this series, but fortunately no one was killed. More about this in Crash Airbus A320.
In second place is the Canadair Regional Jet from the 700 - 1000 series. This type of Bombardier aircraft has been around since 1999 and 638 of them have been built so far. In 2007 there was a total loss from the series of this type of aircraft, which, however, was also without human casualties. One could think that the list is only between Boeing vs. Airbus, but there are many other manufacturers worldwide, which build very safe aircraft, like Bombardier.
Third place goes to the Boeing 777 from the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The first aircraft from this series took off in 1994. 1060 aircraft have been built since that year. So far, two total losses of Boeings have occurred, but these also ended without fatalities. The last incident occurred in 2011 at the airport in Cairo, where fire broke out in the cockpit of the aircraft.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer lands in fourth place with its ERJ-145. The first regional aircraft from this manufacturer was launched in 1995, and 1128 aircraft have been built since then. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the total of five total failures.
Fifth place also goes to the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, this time with its E-170. 927 aircraft of this type have been built since the maiden flight in 2002. So far, there have been two total losses with 42 fatalities.
The sixth place in the ranking is occupied by probably the best-known passenger aircraft, the Boeing 747. This aircraft type first took off in 1988 and since then has been the largest passenger aircraft in the world until the Airbus A380 entered service. To date, 649 of the 747-400 variant have been built, including seven total losses. A total of 87 people were killed in accidents.
The seventh place is also occupied by a Boeing, but this time by the 737, which belongs to the family of the most-built passenger airplanes, because since 1997 an incredible 4562 machines have been built. In the 1990s, the new variants of the Boeing 737, the -600, -700 M, -800 and -900 types, entered the aircraft market. Unfortunately, there have already been ten total losses of these aircraft, with 436 fatalities. More about Boeing 737 crash and selected accidents.
Also in the top ten is another member of the Airbus family, the A321. This medium-haul passenger aircraft first took off in 1993. With a total of 755 units of this type - significantly fewer than the Boeing 737 - and two total losses with 152 fatalities, this aircraft type lands in eighth place.
In ninth place among the safest aircraft in the world are the Canadair Regional Jets CRJ-100, CRJ-200 and CRJ-440 from aircraft manufacturer Bombardier. Since their first launch in 1991, 1155 aircraft have been built. This aircraft brand has already recorded twelve total losses and 194 people killed in accidents.
The last place in the top 10 is again occupied by an Airbus, this time the A320. Thus, a total of three types of the European aircraft manufacturer are in this list. Since its maiden flight in 1987, 3198 Airbus A320s have been manufactured. Unfortunately, this aircraft type has already suffered 20 total losses, in which 631 people lost their lives.
One of the most modern Boeing has to offer is the Sonic Cruiser 787, a state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft that has been in service since 2011. Since its introduction, there have been no incidents with the Dreamliner. Passengers aboard this aircraft can feel extremely safe and enjoy the flight. More than 1,000 units have been delivered to date and new aircraft are constantly being delivered worldwide.
So which are the safest airlines?
This was recently revealed by a Hamburg-based air accident specialist. The Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC) examined for an aviation magazine which of the world's 100 largest airlines are the safest. The researchers compared the number of flights per airline with the number of accidents or total losses over the last 30 years.
The result: passengers can feel safest with Emirates. The German airline Eurowings took 16th place. Lufthansa was only 22nd in the ranking, Austrian Airlines only 39th, with Swiss Airlines right behind it. Condor, on the other hand, is far behind in 53rd place.
The top 10 places are also occupied by Spirit Airlines from the USA, Jetstar Airways from Australia and Air Arabia from the United Arab Emirates.
One thing right away: There is no such thing as a safe seat when the plane crashes from a great height. But sitting safely when turbulence, thunderstorms and air pockets cause the plane to sink is a good feeling. Anyway, the best seats on the plane are subjective and according to one's needs. The rumor that the places where the sway is least felt are at wing level and in front is true. If you get airsick easily, you should secure one of these seats when you check in online in good time. According to a study by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Accident Database, which tracks all injuries on flights, statistics show that the highest risk of injury is in the aisle seats in the middle third of the cabin. This also sounds very plausible when you think that most minor injuries are caused by falling carry-on luggage from stowage compartments.
To avoid thrombosis, make sure you have as much legroom as possible when choosing your seat. Especially for long-haul flights, inquire about the booking situation; often airlines offer upgrades to better classes of carriage for only a small additional charge, in which you may not necessarily be safer, but you will be much more comfortable than in "wooden class."
Regardless of the manufacturer or aircraft type, aviation today is an extremely safe mode of transport. Lessons were learned very quickly from the crashes in the 80s and 90s, and the mistakes have rarely been repeated, so today virtually no aircraft crashes due to technical defects or faulty designs. Pilots are trained more comprehensively, safety systems on board are extremely efficient and great progress has also been made on the ground in monitoring the airspace or even in security checks at the airport. Anyone who boards an airplane today can be very sure of landing safe and sound at their destination. If a problem does occur, there is a very high probability that the aircraft will still be able to land safely and that no one will be harmed.
