Pakistan International Airlines rated WORST in safety globally, study finds

There are 230 airlines rated by AirlineRatings, based on four criteria: fatalities, incidents, audits, and COVID compliance and the best airlines receive seven stars.

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national air carrier of Pakistan, and few other airlines have been adjudged worst airlines globally in terms of safety as per a study done by AirlineRatings. The ranking system ranks airlines on fiur parameters and gives stars from 1-7.

PIA has received the lowest one-star rating from the study. Along with Pakistan International Airlines, there are 6 other airlines that have got one star rating in terms of safety and those are Air Algerie, Sriwijaya Air, Scat, Iran Aseman Airlines, Airblue and Blue Wing.

According to the AirlineRatings, airlines get three stars if they avoid fatalities over the long term, two stars if they avoid serious incidents, and one star if they pass audits and are in compliance with Covid. The best airlines get 7 star rating.

On its second landing attempt in Karachi in 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed in a crowded place, killing 100 people. In addition to runway incursions and loss of separations, PIA has experienced several incidents involving smoke indicators and engine failures in recent years.

Sriwijaya Air which is an Indonesian based airlines, lost 62 passengers and crew members last January after one of their Boeing 737-500 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta.

The ATR 72-200 of Iran Aseman Airlines crashed into the Zagros Mountains in Iran in 2018, killing all 66 people onboard. In July 2014, an Air Algerie MD-83 flying to Algiers went down in northern Mali, killing all 116 on board.  

SCAT Airlines, based in Kazakhstan, makes the list for losing 21 passengers and crew and a Bombardier CRJ200 in January 2013. Last but not least, Suriname-based Blue Wings Airlines lost an Antonov An-28 as well as 19 people in 2008 when their landing went wrong at Lawa Antino Airport in Benzdorp, Suriname.

Of the seven one-star airlines, only Air Algerie received the audit tick. As part of this category, the airline is assessed on how it adheres to IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) regime. This means assessing its operational management and control systems. However, IOSA isn't compulsory, and not every airline participates.

Following the incident of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 in 2020, PIA was banned from flying to EU and USA. There are currently 96 airlines on the EU's blacklist and airlines from over 20 countries are banned in USA.