Aviation

Top 20 World’s safest airlines for 2017 – Airline Ratings

A Costly Mistake: Passenger Pays for Fuel After Disruptive Flight

AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety and product rating website, which was launched in June 2013, has announced its top twenty safest airlines and top ten safest low-cost airlines for 2017 from the 425 it monitors.

Top of the list for the fourth year is Australia’s Qantas, which has a fatality free record in the jet era – an extraordinary record. Making up the remainder of the top twenty in alphabetical order are: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.

In making its selections AirlineRatings.com takes into account numerous factors that include; audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations; government audits; airline’s crash and serious incident record; profitability and fleet age.

AirlineRating.com’s editorial team, one of the world’s most awarded and experienced, also examined each airline’s fleet history and its track record of initiating new safety technology to arrive at its top 20 safest airlines.

In selecting Qantas as the world’s safest airline for the fourth year running AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 96-year history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted by the British Advertising Standards Association as the industry’s most experienced carrier.

The world’s safest airline, according to AirlineRatings.com

Qantas

The 19 other safest airlines (in alphabetical order)

Air New Zealand
Alaska Airlines
All Nippon Airways
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Delta Air Lines
Etihad Airways
EVA Air
Finnair
Hawaiian Airlines
Japan Airlines
KLM
Lufthansa
Scandinavian
Singapore Airlines
Swiss
United Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Australia

Courtesy : Airlinerating.com

Aviation

Boeing Faces New Setbacks as 777X Delays Extend and scraps B767-300F

Boeing’s challenges continue as employees halted production due to a strike, creating new obstacles for delivering aircraft to customers. The company now faces financial losses from delays in the delivery of its boeing 777x aircraft.

Boeing recently announced that the new delivery date for the 777-9 will be in 2026, with the freighter variant scheduled for 2028. This news has been frustrating for airlines that have committed to and are waiting for the aircraft.

Mega Comparison of Boeing 777x vs A350-1000 Aircraft

The Boeing 777X program, which began in early 2019, was initially delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19 disruptions. Subsequent issues, including defects found during testing, have placed the program under scrutiny by the FAA, which insists on the aircraft meeting all safety standards before entering service. Boeing is now facing pressure from both airlines and investors.

Boeing 777x Delay

New Commercial Airplanes expects to incur pre-tax charges of $3.0 billion related to the Boeing 777X and 767 programs.

The company forecasts a $2.6 billion pre-tax charge due to the updated timeline, which accounts for delays in flight testing for the 777-9 and the impact of the IAM (International Association of Machinists) work stoppage. The first 777-9 delivery is now expected in 2026, with the 777-8 freighter following in 2028.

Exploring the Boeing 777x: Highlights from the Debut at …

In addition, Boeing plans to conclude production of the 767 freighter, resulting in a $0.4 billion pre-tax charge. From 2027 onwards, the company will solely produce the 767-2C aircraft for the KC-46A Tanker program.

In August 2024, Boeing grounded its 777X test fleet after detecting a failure in a key engine mounting structure during a routine inspection. The new boeing 777x, powered by the GE9X engine, is the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, but this issue has caused further setbacks.

Boeing 777x, A close-up of the engine, landing gear, and wing

Comparison of 777x vs A350

Meanwhile, the Airbus A350 continues to secure new orders from airlines, becoming a strong competitor in the wide-body aircraft segment. While the a350 vs b777 offer similar ranges, the 777X is designed to carry a heavier payload.

In other developments, Boeing has hinted at starting production of a new mid-sized aircraft, the Boeing 797, which would likely compete with the Airbus A321 XLR.