2015 World’s Most Dangerous Airlines: Which 5 Got a Safety Rating of Just One Star?

By Rita

Last year (2014) saw numerous air disasters worldwide, adding an extra layer of concern for travelers. Based on this metric,the International Air Safety Evaluation Website(AirlineRatings.com) recently released its list of the top ten safest airlines for 2015, with Qantas from Australia topping the list for having “no fatal flight incidents.” Out of 449 airlines evaluated, 149 received a seven-star safety rating, but five were given a dismal one star. These are Agni Air, Kam Air, Nepal Airlines, SCAT Airlines, and Tara Air.

The website stated,“An air crash that results in the death of one passenger or crew member leads to a one-star deduction due to a downgrade in safety assessment,”and among the five, three are from Nepal. The European Union had previously banned these airlines from flying in its airspace. Below is a summary of these five airlines with the “lowest aviation safety” ratings.

▲ Tara Air, Nepal (Image / Wikipedia)

1. Tara Air, Nepal
Established in 2009, Tara Air is a subsidiary of Yeti Airlines in Nepal, headquartered at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Its main operations focus on remote mountainous regions and airports.
Incidents: Between 2009 and 2014, there were three incidents, including “an emergency landing after a cabin door suddenly opened mid-flight,” “a crash,” and “an improper landing that veered off the runway.”

▲ Nepal Airlines (Image / Wikipedia)

2. Nepal Airlines
Founded in 1958, Nepal Airlines is a state-owned carrier headquartered in the capital, Kathmandu. In addition to domestic routes, the airline also operates flights to India, Southeast Asia, and plans to expand to Japan and Europe in the future.
Incidents: From 1960 to 2014, there were a total of 15 incidents, including “crashes due to poor weather,” “runway overruns during takeoff,” “unstable landings resulting in

▲Agni Air (Photo / Wikipedia)

III. Agni Air of Nepal
Established in 2006, it mainly operates domestic routes.
Incidents: 2010 “crashed due to bad weather,” 2012 “crashed.”

▲Kam Air of Afghanistan (Photo / Wikipedia)

IV. Kam Air of Afghanistan
Established in 2003, its destinations are primarily within the country and nearby regions.
Incidents: 2005 “crashed due to severe weather,” 2010 “cargo plane’s tail clipped another aircraft during takeoff, causing major damage to the nearby plane.”

▲SCAT Airlines of Kazakhstan (Photo / Wikipedia)

V. SCAT Airlines of Kazakhstan
Established in 1997, it is mainly based in major cities across Kazakhstan and serves surrounding countries.
Incident: 2013 Bombardier CRJ-200 crashed near Almaty International Airport due to low visibility.