The 2020 JACDEC ranking has named KLM the sixth-safest airline in the world, beating the likes of EasyJet, Delta Air Lines, and Vueling.
While KLM may be notoriously Dutch, it isn’t the only Dutch-owned airline to nab a spot in the top 10. Coming in seventh place, just behind KLM, is Transavia, an airline under the Air France-KLM group.
This marks the third year in a row that KLM has secured a spot in the top 10, coming in fourth place in 2018 and in ninth place in 2019. This is also the second year Transavia has made it into the top 10, coming in sixth place in 2019.
JACDEC's ranking is based on each airline’s accident history over the past 30 years, but also evaluates the country-specific environment in which the airline operates and its specific risk factors. While the analysis does provide a ranking of the world’s 100 largest airlines, it is worth noting that all airlines in the top 20 have a score above 90 percent, proving that there isn’t much to differentiate them from one another.
According to JACDEC's 2020 ranking, the world's 10 safest airlines are:
| Ranking | Airline | Country | Risk Index (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emirates | UAE | 94,75 |
| 2 | Etihad Airways | UAE | 94,73 |
| 3 | Scoot Tigerair | Singapore | 94,52 |
| 4 | Air Europa | Spain | 94,45 |
| 5 | Finnair | Finland | 93,14 |
| 6 | KLM | The Netherlands | 92,97 |
| 7 | Transavia | The Netherlands | 92,61 |
| 8 | Oman Air | Oman | 92,31 |
| 9 | Eva Air | Taiwan | 92,15 |
| 10 | Jetblue Airways | USA | 91,90 |
JACDEC stands for Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre. The company has offered global safety analysis about commercial aviation since 1989. For more information about the 2020 ranking, visit their website.