The fear of flying

4. Are some airlines safer than others?

YYes. The odds of being on a flight which results in at least one fatality vary depending on which airline you are flying with.

Airlines	Odds of being on an airline flight which results in at least one fatality
Top 25 airlines with the best records	1 in 4.25 millions
Bottom 25 airlines with the worst records	1 in 386,000

Two main reasons explain these variations:

1 - Even though all airlines must meet ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority) safety standards, the control and overseeing of the implementation of these regulations remains under the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority of the country in which the airline has set its main base. But the knowledge and organization of those national authorities differ from one country to another. Foreign authorities may perform checks on aircraft landing in their country (and can decide to ground an aircraft as a result), but since only a few aircraft can be controlled, foreign authorities generally trust the authority of the country in which the airline has its main base. For more information, go to the chapter detailing the technical control performed by Authorities on foreign airlines.

For example, if a Russian aircraft lands in Paris (France), the French authorities will be allowed to control and ground the aircraft, should it not comply with French regulations. So many aircraft land in France everyday, however, that they cannot all be controlled. This Russian aircraft is therefore not likely to be checked. The French authorities must therefore trust the Russian Authorities and allow the aircraft to operate in France.

2 - An aircraft manufacturer requests from its customers (i.e. airlines) an actions list, in order to ensure that the aircraft will be safe throughout its life. Such actions lists may include regular checks and a list of mandatory and optional equipment, for example.

Some airlines may decide to add to this actions list. For example, some optional equipment could become mandatory. This improves safety, but it also drastically increases aircraft operating costs.

Some airlines therefore choose not to add their own constraints to the list. The safety of these airlines will be at its lowest acceptable level.

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