The World’s Most Dangerous Airlines

Chances are you will never experience any of the airlines on this list.  And, chances are you will never be a pilot for any of these airlines – I hope. Nevertheless, as an aspiring pilot, this trivia could be interesting. Next time you’re relaxing with fellow aspiring aviators you can drop some airline knowledge on them. Or play a prank and tell them you’re planning to fly for one of these blacklisted airlines.

Air Koryo

North Korea’s national airline, Air Koryo, is at the bottom of the list in world rankings.  Unlike most on this list, Air Koryo is fatality-free and has an IOSA Certification. The certification is an internationally-recognized standard for the airline’s operation and control systems. Despite this, Air Koryo received an EU ban in 2006 due to safety concerns about its equipment. While some planes in their fleet have started to comply with international standards, the majority remain banned an unable to operate internationally.  

Blue Wing

Based in Suriname, Blue Wing flies domestically as well as internationally to surrounding countries like Brazil and Venezuela.  Their one-star rating is due to the man crashes since their 2009 launch. Blue Wing planes have been involved in three major crashes. Two of those led to the deaths of all passengers on board. Blue Wing claims poor airport infrastructure caused the crashes.  

Nepal Airlines

Nepal Airlines is another one-star airline. It fails to meet every criterion listed by AirlineRatings apart from being FAA endorsed – which the vast majority of airlines are. The EU banned the airline in 2013 due to an abnormally large number of crashes. In 2000, a Nepal Airlines plane collided with some trees and caught fire, killing 22 passengers and 3 crew members.

Trigana Air

Trigana Air is an Indonesia based airline. Like Nepal Airlines, they fail all criteria except for FAA endorsement. All Indonesian airlines received an EU ban in 2007. Since 2002, Trigana Air has experienced 14 major incidents. 10 of the 14 were listed as “hull loss,” a term used when an aircraft is damaged beyond repair.

Yeti Airlines/Tara Air

Once again, Nepal makes its way onto the list, which leads me to believe that flying in the Himalayas is dangerous. There have been nine fatal accidents and crashes in Nepal in the last eight years. The EU has deemed all airlines certified by the Nepalese regulatory authorities to be unreliable. Yeti Airlines is the parent company of Tara Air. Both airlines rank 3/8 in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety audit, and have a long history of accidents and mishaps. 

Ready to Start a Career Flying for Safe Airlines?

The good news is, if you’re reading this, you probably have more options than flying for any of the airlines listed above. U.S. airlines have impeccable safety records and they treat their pilots great. Schedule a tour at either of our two campuses and see how you can get started in a career in aviation and take advantage of a rewarding career opportunity.