The World's Most Dangerous Airlines

Nepal Airlines

Krish Dulal via Wikimedia Commons

 

It's difficult not to have empathy for pilots who land jets in Nepal, what with the Himalayas being there and all—some planes are bound to be less lucky than others. This is unfortunately true not only anecdotally but in reality, with Nepal Airlines in particular being among the world's most unsafe airlines.

 

Having experienced nearly a dozen fatal accidents in the past three decades, in spite of a relatively modest flight schedule, Nepal Airlines gets just one star (out of a potential seven) from AirlineRatings.com, a site which ranks airline safety using a number of metrics.

 

The inclusion of Nepal Airlines among the world's most dangerous airlines is particularly interesting when you consider it doesn't fly to the Himalayan airport of Lukla, which many consider to be the world's most dangerous airport, and is a necessary stop en route to Everest Base Camp.

Kam Air

Karla Marshall via Wikimedia Commons

 

The only thing less likely than having heard about Kam Air is having the opportunity (or need, as it were) to fly it—based in Afghanistan, Kam Air is not an airline the average backpacker would fly these days, unless that backpack is owned by the U.S. military.

 

As to why Kam Air is one of the world's most unsafe airlines? Well, Kam Air has only been in operation for a decade, but has already experienced fatal accidents resulting in more than 100 passenger deaths, making it one of the most dangerous airlines in the world.