Before I get to the list, I must add some caveats. When I say 'Crashed' that does not mean 'never bent metal'. Several of the airlines on our list have suffered runway overruns due to rejected take offs, inability to stop on wet runways and flame outs on short final. My definition of 'Crashed' is a total hull loss resulting in death. To date, none of the airlines on this list have suffered such a tragedy.

1. Emirates

Emirates commenced operations in 1985 and hasn't suffered a single fatal accident since its inception. They currently fly over 3,500 flights per week all across the globe. Emirates has suffered a hull loss when one of its Boeing 777's experienced a loss of control after a failed go-around. The airframe caught fire on the runway and was totally destroyed. One firefighter was killed fighting the blaze, but no passengers were injured.

2. Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has been flying since 2003 and has an impeccable safety record. The only incident with any of their aircraft happened during ground testing of one of their Airbus A340s in France. The aircraft was being run on the ground and for some unknown reason began to accelerate and ran into a concrete wall at 40mph. The aircraft was written off and the nine people onboard were injured, but none fatally.

3. Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways started flying in 2004. Since then they have experienced two hull loses due to fire, one in 2007 and the other ten years later in 2017. In both instances nobody was injured. Besides those mishaps, Qatar Airways has an immaculate safety record.

4. Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines stated flying way back in 1929! Hawaiian Airlines has the distinction of being the oldest airline in existence to never experience a fatal accident. The airline has been through some rocky financial times having filed for bankruptcy twice, once in 1993 and in 2003, but that has never affected their safety record.

5. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has been in existence since 1971 and was a pioneer in the low cost budget airline. Although Southwest offer low fares, they do not skimp on their maintenance or training expenses. Southwest Airlines has technically experienced a fatality when one of their aircraft slid off a runway while landing in heavy snow. The aircraft subsequently crashed into a car killing a 6 year old boy.

6. EasyJet

EasyJet commenced flight operations in 1995. The Luton, UK based airline has the distinction of being the only European airline on our list with no fatal accidents and no hull losses to date.

7. Ryanair

The Swords, Ireland based Ryanair began flying in 1985. Since then, they have only suffered one hull loss in 2008 when one of their 737's flew through a flock of 50 to 100 starling birds near Rome, Italy causing massive damage and forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. Upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft skid down the length of the runway. Nobody was injured, but the aircraft was subsequently written off.

8. EVA Air

Taiwan based  EVA Air commenced operations in 1989. Since then, they haven't suffered any fatal accidents or hull losses. Only two incidents are known to have ever occurred involving EVA Air aircraft. One was an Eva Air 777 that clipped another aircraft's winglet while taxiing and the other was an EVA Air 777 that ran over runway edge lights.

9. Hainan Airlines

The Haikou, China based Hainan Airlines began flying in 1989. Although they have never experienced a fatal accident or hull loss, they have experienced two extremely unusual noteworthy incidents. One was an attempted hijack by 4 men armed with knives (it failed) and the other was an incident caused by a Hainan aircraft that landed at the wrong airport causing over $1 million dollars worth of damage.

10. Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific  was founded in 1946. Cathay Pacific is the second oldest airline in operation to never experience a fatal accident to date. Cathay Pacific did experienced one notable incident back in 2010. The flight crew of one of its Airbus A330's was unable to reduce the thrust for landing and were forced to land the aircraft way above its normal landing speed. 57 passengers were injured in the subsequent landing, but none of the injuries were fatal.

 

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