Which airlines have a poor safety record?

Several airlines have gained notoriety for their below-average safety records, and if you're anxious about flying, it's best to avoid these potentially unsafe carriers. Among them are Lion Air, Nepal Airlines, Kam Air, Tara Air, and SCAT Airlines.



In 2026, identifying airlines with "poor" records requires looking at EU Air Safety Lists and international audit failures rather than just major accidents, which remain rare. While top-tier carriers like Etihad, Qantas, and Air New Zealand dominate the "Safest Airlines" rankings for 2026, several regional carriers are still banned from European and American airspace due to inadequate regulatory oversight. These often include smaller operators in nations like Nepal, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where mountainous terrain or political instability hampers high-quality safety infrastructure. For 2026 travelers, it is a "pro-move" to check AirlineRatings.com, which flags carriers with low stars for audit compliance. Even former giants like British Airways have faced criticism in 2026 for reliability and "lost luggage" chaos, but they maintain a premier technical safety pedigree despite operational frustrations.

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What are the least safe airlines?
  • Nepal Airlines (Nepal)
  • Airblue (Pakistan)
  • Sriwijawa Air (Indonesia)
  • Blue Wing (Suriname)
  • Pakistan International Airlines (Pakistan)
  • Air Algerie (Algeria)


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Running since 1929, Hawaiian is among the oldest airlines in the world but, remarkably, it has never suffered a single fatal crash or hull loss.

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Generally, Delta is a good airline for travelers who want a comfortable flight experience overall at a cost that's in line with its service and offerings.

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Pages in category Aviation accidents and incidents in 2023
  • 2023 Elmina plane crash.
  • 2023 Manang Air helicopter crash.
  • 2023 Poland Cessna 208 crash.
  • 2023 Rajasthan MiG-21 crash.
  • 2023 SAM Air Cessna 208 Caravan crash.
  • 2023 Syria helicopter accident.
  • 2023 Zaragoza F-18 crash.


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Spirit. Like Frontier, Spirit has the skinniest rows of any American airline, with a seat pitch of 28 inches — and they don't recline. Spirit lagged at 8 out of 10 American airlines studied in the in The Points Guys' 2021 report.

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The AirlineRatings top 20 safest low-cost airlines for 2022 are, in alphabetical order; Air Arabia, AirAsia Group* Allegiant, Air Baltic, easyjet, FlyDubai, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Indigo, Ryanair, Scoot, Southwest, Spicejet, Spirit, Vueling, Vietjet, Volaris, Westjet, and Wizz.

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Most pilots learning to fly solo start on either Cessna 150/152 or Diamond DA-40/42. Both are two-seat aircraft and are extremely popular for flight training. As a beginner private pilot, the types of planes that you can fly depend on the country in which you are located and the type of license you hold.

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Popular culture. In September 2021, PBS released Boeing's Fatal Flaw, a Frontline documentary about how Boeing ignored critical safety issues with the 737 MAX resulting in the crash of two airliners.

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Hawaiian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the United States, which should come as no surprise given its sterling crash-free record. The airline has a fleet comprised entirely of Boeing aircraft and an average age of 12.8 years, the third-highest in North America.

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In its list of the 20 overall safest airlines for 2023, U.S. based airlines which made the cut include Alaska Airlines in eighth place, Hawaiian Airlines in 12th, United Airlines in 14th, American Airlines in 19th and Delta Air Lines in 20th, according to Airlineratings.com.

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If you're choosing between Delta and Southwest When you factor in earnings rates, basic economy considerations, in-flight entertainment and pet friendliness, Southwest just edges out Delta.

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For the third year in a row, Hawaiian Airlines scored the top spot as the most reliable U.S. carrier across these metrics. It had the lowest cancellation rate (fewer than 1% of its scheduled flights were canceled) and bumped just four passengers out of the nearly 10 million people it carried in 2022.

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It's the second consecutive year Delta was named No. 1 by WalletHub, which studied each airline's delays, baggage issues, safety and other factors. Spirit Airlines ranks No. 2 in this year's report.

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In the competition of Delta versus United, there isn't a clear winner. Delta charges less baggage fees and makes basic economy more tolerable for a frugal traveler. United, on other hand, has a stronger loyalty program, cheaper award prices and a stronger presence when it comes to global connections.

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Basically, turbulence is unpleasant, but you it will not cause your plane to crash: the safe-proofing for commercial flights is such you simply can't fly when it is too rough out.

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The truth is that the majority of aviation accidents happen on the runway during takeoff or landing, not while the airplane is cruising in the air. Three reasons why airport runway accidents are the most common of all aviation accidents: Takeoffs and landings are when planes are closest to the ground.

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Here's the ranking of US airlines from MOST complaints in May 2022 to LEAST complaints in May 2022:
  • American Airlines (575 complaints)
  • United Airlines (400 complaints)
  • Frontier Airlines (301 complaints)
  • Delta Air Lines (281 complaints)
  • Spirit Airlines (269 complaints)
  • JetBlue Airways (244 complaints)


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