Qantas no longer holds this prestigious title after a catastrophic year
- Replies 9
It's been quite a ride for Australia's national carrier, Qantas.
From booking blunders to lost luggage chaos, the airline has faced wave after wave of criticism from frustrated flyers. Now, those issues may have had real consequences for passenger safety.
Qantas has lost its esteemed title as the world's safest airline following a year of turbulence and controversy.
The title, awarded annually by AirlineRatings.com, has been claimed by trans-Tasman rival Air New Zealand.
This is a significant setback for Qantas, which has been grappling with a series of issues that have left passengers and stakeholders disgruntled.
The year 2023 was a challenging one for Qantas, marked by the sudden resignation of its controversial chief executive, Alan Joyce, in September.
The airline faced a barrage of criticism over several incidents that left passengers fuming. These included the sale of 8000 tickets for flights that Qantas had already secretly cancelled, complaints about lost baggage, long delays in customer service response times, and passengers waiting years for refunds on trips cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qantas also faced backlash for its high-profile support for the Yes campaign in the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The close relationship between Alan Joyce and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also came under scrutiny after his girlfriend, Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, 23, were gifted membership to the elite Chairman's Lounge.
The Airline Safety Ratings rates the safety and in-flight products of 385 airlines using a ‘unique seven-star rating system’.
Qantas, previously held the top spot, was ranked second overall this year.
Air New Zealand claimed the top spot, with experts praising that the ‘airline has a firm focus on safety and excelled across the broad safety spectrum, right down to the smallest detail’.
Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of AirlineRatings.com, noted, ‘Our Top 25 Safest Airlines are all standouts in the industry and at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching new aircraft.’
'In fact, the safety margins between these top 25 airlines are very small. Between Air New Zealand and Qantas, there is only 1.5 points, it’s incredibly close.’
The ratings take into account a comprehensive range of factors, including serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment, and fleet age.
However, incidents such as bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions, and lightning strikes are not considered, ‘as the airline has no control over such events’, Thomas said.
The Top 20 Low-Cost Airlines for 2024, according to the ratings, include Jetstar, easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz, Norwegian, Frontier, Vueling, Vietjet, Southwest, Volaris, flydubai, AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific, Sun Country, Spirit, Westjet, JetBlue, Air Arabia, Indigo and Eurowings.
'These airlines all have an excellent safety culture and low incident rates,' Thomas said.
AirlineRatings.com did not name the worst airlines for safety for legal reasons.
Qantas is facing a massive compensation bill, potentially running into hundreds of millions of dollars, after the High Court found it illegally sacked 1700 ground staff during the pandemic.
Questions were also raised in Parliament about Qantas's role in the Labor government's decision to block additional flights into Australia by Qatar Airways.
The airline also faced outrage over the $24 million golden handshake set to be paid to outgoing CEO Alan Joyce after he quit.
Airline management, led by replacement CEO Vanessa Hudson, threatened to withhold up to half the payout.
Senior executives have seen short-term incentive payments cut by 20 per cent during the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) probe into the 8000 tickets sold for cancelled flights.
Additional payments may be reclaimed based on the result of the ongoing ACCC case in court.
Joyce has had $2.2 million of his payout held back, and there's a chance that another $8.3 million may be subject to clawback later. When combined with additional previously awarded long-term incentives, a total of $14.4 million in bonuses is potentially at stake.
Qantas Chairman Richard Joyder acknowledged, ‘Much of the loss of trust stems from allegations by the ACCC.’
Despite these challenges, Qantas remains committed to safety.
A Qantas spokesperson said, 'Everyone at Qantas and Jetstar is incredibly proud of our safety reputation.’
‘The whole aviation industry is focused on ensuring flying remains the safest way to travel, which is highlighted by the fact that four major airlines based in this part of the world ranked high on these lists.'
What are your thoughts on Qantas' recent challenges and loss of the world's safest airline title? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
From booking blunders to lost luggage chaos, the airline has faced wave after wave of criticism from frustrated flyers. Now, those issues may have had real consequences for passenger safety.
Qantas has lost its esteemed title as the world's safest airline following a year of turbulence and controversy.
The title, awarded annually by AirlineRatings.com, has been claimed by trans-Tasman rival Air New Zealand.
This is a significant setback for Qantas, which has been grappling with a series of issues that have left passengers and stakeholders disgruntled.
Qantas has been taken over by Air New Zealand as the top airline for 2023. Credit: Pixabay
The year 2023 was a challenging one for Qantas, marked by the sudden resignation of its controversial chief executive, Alan Joyce, in September.
The airline faced a barrage of criticism over several incidents that left passengers fuming. These included the sale of 8000 tickets for flights that Qantas had already secretly cancelled, complaints about lost baggage, long delays in customer service response times, and passengers waiting years for refunds on trips cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qantas also faced backlash for its high-profile support for the Yes campaign in the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The close relationship between Alan Joyce and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also came under scrutiny after his girlfriend, Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, 23, were gifted membership to the elite Chairman's Lounge.
The Airline Safety Ratings rates the safety and in-flight products of 385 airlines using a ‘unique seven-star rating system’.
Qantas, previously held the top spot, was ranked second overall this year.
Air New Zealand claimed the top spot, with experts praising that the ‘airline has a firm focus on safety and excelled across the broad safety spectrum, right down to the smallest detail’.
Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of AirlineRatings.com, noted, ‘Our Top 25 Safest Airlines are all standouts in the industry and at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching new aircraft.’
'In fact, the safety margins between these top 25 airlines are very small. Between Air New Zealand and Qantas, there is only 1.5 points, it’s incredibly close.’
The ratings take into account a comprehensive range of factors, including serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment, and fleet age.
However, incidents such as bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions, and lightning strikes are not considered, ‘as the airline has no control over such events’, Thomas said.
The Top 20 Low-Cost Airlines for 2024, according to the ratings, include Jetstar, easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz, Norwegian, Frontier, Vueling, Vietjet, Southwest, Volaris, flydubai, AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific, Sun Country, Spirit, Westjet, JetBlue, Air Arabia, Indigo and Eurowings.
'These airlines all have an excellent safety culture and low incident rates,' Thomas said.
AirlineRatings.com did not name the worst airlines for safety for legal reasons.
Qantas is facing a massive compensation bill, potentially running into hundreds of millions of dollars, after the High Court found it illegally sacked 1700 ground staff during the pandemic.
Questions were also raised in Parliament about Qantas's role in the Labor government's decision to block additional flights into Australia by Qatar Airways.
The airline also faced outrage over the $24 million golden handshake set to be paid to outgoing CEO Alan Joyce after he quit.
Airline management, led by replacement CEO Vanessa Hudson, threatened to withhold up to half the payout.
Senior executives have seen short-term incentive payments cut by 20 per cent during the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) probe into the 8000 tickets sold for cancelled flights.
Additional payments may be reclaimed based on the result of the ongoing ACCC case in court.
Joyce has had $2.2 million of his payout held back, and there's a chance that another $8.3 million may be subject to clawback later. When combined with additional previously awarded long-term incentives, a total of $14.4 million in bonuses is potentially at stake.
Qantas Chairman Richard Joyder acknowledged, ‘Much of the loss of trust stems from allegations by the ACCC.’
Despite these challenges, Qantas remains committed to safety.
A Qantas spokesperson said, 'Everyone at Qantas and Jetstar is incredibly proud of our safety reputation.’
‘The whole aviation industry is focused on ensuring flying remains the safest way to travel, which is highlighted by the fact that four major airlines based in this part of the world ranked high on these lists.'
.png){kind=icon}
