Air NZ rates in Top 20 for airline safety

BRUSSELS - Air New Zealand is rated in the world's top 20 safest airlines under a risk-assessment system to be revealed in Brussels this week.

With just two minor non-fatal accidents in the last 12 years, Air New Zealand is ranked 20th in terms of safety, according to a table that lists 500 airlines.

Air Canada comes out on top, its passengers having only a one in 1.3 million chance of being involved in any kind of accident.

By contrast, those on the Eastern European Air Georgia have a one in 333 chance.

FlightSafe Consultants will release the risk table tomorrow at an international conference on aircraft quality and safety.

"The top 20 airlines are all very close. The fact that Air Canada is on top is of little difference to Air New Zealand's record," said FlightSafe chief executive John Trevett, a former test pilot.

"The major statistical difference is the age of the fleets. Air New Zealand's fleet of 38 planes is 7 1/2 years on average, which is the industry average. No airline has a perfect fleet."

Air New Zealand earned top marks on quality of management, regulation of operation, its own mature, established environment and the way it is organised in alliances.

Mr Trevett said the airline earned maximum marks in eight of the 10 criteria. Its last accident was in Fiji in 1991 when a plane ran off the runway after landing at Nadi. None of the 173 people on board was killed or seriously injured.

The only other reported accident in the last 12 years was in September 7, 1988, which was believed to be caused by air turbulence.

One person out of the 211 on board a Boeing 767 flight over Canterbury was seriously injured. There was no damage to the plane.

Mr Trevett said Air New Zealand's independent subsidiary Mt Cook had one minor accident to its record and was 63rd on the list.

Qantas New Zealand (previously Ansett New Zealand) was 128th following its June 1995 crash near Palmerston North. Four people died, 13 were seriously injured and three suffered minor injuries when the Dash 8 hit a hillside.

Previously, airlines have been assessed by the number of accidents or deaths, but the new table looks at a wide range of factors.

Overall accident rates are falling. Last year, 674 people were killed in passenger air crashes, well below the 1990-98 average of 1326.

- NZPA

Safest Airlines

In order:

Air Canada, Ansett Australia, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swissair, American Airlines, United Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, British Airways, SAS, Tyrolean Airways (Austria), All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Continental Airlines (USA), Lufthansa Cityline, British Midland, Crossair (Switzerland), Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand.