The pandemic may have grounded flights around the world in 2020, but that wasn't enough to reduce the number of people killed in air accidents.
Last year, 42 more people died in major aviation incidents compared with 2019, according to airlineratings.com. This is one of the reasons airline safety remains at the forefront of travellers' minds.
The website has revealed which airlines are the safest as part of its annual safety rankings. The safety and product rating website considers audits from governing and industry bodies; government audits; crash and serious incident records from individual airlines; profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives; and fleet age to conclude its ranking.
The global pandemic has added additional criteria. As airlines resumed flying after grounding fleets, aircrafts that had been parked for months had to be deemed operationally safe, and the retraining of crew, pilots and ground staff after periods of non-service were also considered.
"Last year was extremely difficult for airlines with Covid-19 slashing travel. Airline Ratings editors have looked particularly at the lengths airlines are going to retrain pilots ahead of a return to service. In the case of Qantas, a 737 pilot goes through a six-day course, including a day on well-being," Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief, Airline Ratings.
Which airline came out on top?
The safest airline in the world is Qantas. Australia's largest airline and the country's flag carrier was ranked first by airlineratings.com.
"Qantas has been the lead airline in virtually every major operational safety advancement over the past 60 years and has not had a fatality in the pure-jet era,” said Thomas.
Qantas operated fewer flights in 2020 than in previous years after the airline grounded international flights as part of its long-term recovery plan. It is set to begin selling tickets on almost all international routes again from July 1, 2021.
“These airlines have outstanding records and are at the forefront of safety,” said Thomas.
“Australia’s Qantas, for instance, has been recognised by the British Advertising Standards Association, in a test case in 2008, as the world’s most experienced airline.”
Dubai's Emirates ranked as the fifth safest airline in 2020 and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was listed in seventh position.
The top 20 safest airlines in the world:
1. Qantas
2. Qatar Airways
3. Air New Zealand
4. Singapore Airlines
5. Emirates
6. EVA Air
7. Etihad Airways
8. Alaska Airlines
9. Cathay Pacific
10. British Airways
11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
12. Hawaiian Airlines
13. Southwest Airlines
14. Delta Air Lines
15. American Airlines
16. SAS
17. Finnair
18. Lufthansa
19. KLM
20. United Airlines
How is the rating decided?
When it comes to determining the ranking, editors at the airline safety website look at serious incidents airlines have been involved in over the past 12 months.
While the number of total air disasters in 2020 was lower – 40 compared to 86 in 2019 – the death rate per incidence was higher with 299 people killed in 2020, according to aviation consultancy To70. This increase was despite the number of commercial flights falling by an estimated 42 per cent, according to Flightradar24.
The deadliest aircraft accident last year involved the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 in Iran in January that killed 176 people.
It accounted for more than half of all aviation deaths outlined in this year's analysis by To70.
The second most serious crash in terms of the number of fatalities was the Pakistan International Airlines incident in May, in which 98 people died.
An Air India Express crash killed 21 in August.
Other fatal incidents involved Turkey's Pegasus Airlines, with three fatalities in February, and Southwest Airlines with one death in May.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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