Airline crash data group ranks world's safest airlines

Finnair, has been named the world's safest airline by a European online group that monitors airline safety and crashes. (Reuters)

If you're afraid of flying, you may want to book an Asian or Middle East carrier rather a U.S. airline. That's at least according to a recent report from a website that monitors plane crashes around the world.

Europe's Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC) released its list of the world's safest airlines.

According to the report, Finnair is now the world’s safest airline, followed by Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific and Emirates. None of the top nine ranked airlines had lost an aircraft or had a fatality during the 30-year period, but many had also not been active for the full 30 years. Not one North American carrier made the top 10 list, but none of them  made the bottom 10 either.

The center calculates its annual rankings based on aircraft loss accidents and serious incidents over the past 30 years. The resulting index relates that information to the revenue per passenger kilometer (rpk) earned by the airline over the same period.

There were 496 fatalities on commercial passenger flights last year, according to the report, two fewer than in 2011. The most significant involved a Dana Air flight which crashed in Nigeria, killing 169 people, and a Bhoja Air flight which crashed in Pakistan, killing 127.

A total of 30 planes were destroyed and there were 44 “hull losses”, or aircraft write-offs, one less than the previous year.

Here's a look at the best and worst in terms of safety record.

The world’s safest airlines

1. Finnair

2. Air New Zealand

3. Cathay Pacific

4. Emirates

5. Etihad

6. EVA Air

7. TAP Portugal

8. Hainan Airlines

9. Virgin Australia

10. British Airways

The bottom 10

51. SkyWest Airlines

52. South African Airways

53. Thai Airways

54. Turkish Airlines

55. Saudia

56. Korean Air

57. GOL Transportes Aéreos

58. Air India

59. TAM Airlines

60. China Airlines