11 Safest Low Cost Airlines In The World

Everyone is always looking for safest low cost airlines in the world. Low cost carriers (LCC) have revolutionized the airline industry ever since they started to become popular in the 1990’s. Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) is the most famous example of low cost airlines and is considered as the gold standard for the low cost airline industry. It proved that the LCC business model could not only be profitable but also provide safety to its passengers. Ryanair Holdings plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:RYAAY) was also one of the pioneers of this business model in Europe. You might also be interested to know about the 10 best airlines to fly to Europe. The company has become the second largest LCC in the world and is primarily based out of Dublin and London. The success of these companies led to numerous low cost carriers being launched by entrepreneurs all over the world and has helped in increasing the growth of the industry.

The LCC segment has now captured a market share of over 25% of the global aviation industry and continues to grow at a rapid rate. Low-cost carriers are different from full service airlines as they offer lower price for passengers by reducing the number of services. They generally charge passengers for products like serving food which is generally priced in the tickets of a full service carrier. Some of the LCC’s have come under criticism for charging for every small thing like providing human basics such as water on-board. Some LCC’s charge fees for credit card charge where credit card is the only payment method accepted.

The safest low cost airlines in the world have been at the forefront of providing innovation in aviation processes and services. For example, one of the biggest low cost carriers Air Asia has worked with government authorities in specially building an airport terminal for low cost carriers in Malaysia. They have also pioneered other practices such as converting entirely to a “paperless” model.  Asia has become a hotspot for the growth of LCCs and in some lower developed countries like Malaysia and India, they have become the dominant business model. In India, the share of the low cost airlines is more than that of the full fledged carriers who have also been forced to launch their low cost variants.

Low cost carries have become an established business model and many of these airlines are rated to be extremely safe. Given below is a list of 11 safest low cost airlines in the world arranged alphabetically. AirlineRatings.com recently identified the top safest low-cost carriers. All these companies have also passed the international Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and have a good safety track record.

1. Aer Lingus

This Irish airline operates mainly in Europe and Africa and operates a wide variety of single aisle A319s, A320s and A321s. The company has both short haul and long haul flights and it has a long history. It was first stated by the Irish government in 1936 before later converting itself to a low cost carrier in 2001. The company has got 7 out of 7 stars in terms of safety ratings and 4 out of 5 stars in the product category.

2. Air Arabia

Air Arabia is a Middle Eastern LCC that has its main hub in the United Arab Emirates. This airline has received high ratings both on safety and product. It has two subsidiaries in Egypt and Morocco and is the largest low cost carrier in the Middle East operating to over 50 destinations. The company started in 2003 and has been a resounding success since its inception expanding into nearby countries. The company operates a classic LCC business model with only one type of aircraft and one type of seating category.

3. Flybe

We are contnuing our list of safest low cost airlines in the world with Flybe that is a UK-based low cost carrier that mainly uses smaller aircraft such as Bombardier, Embraer and Dornier aircraft. The airline was started in 1979 and it expanded by acquiring other smaller airlines. It bought BA Connect in 2007 and Scotland’s Logan Air in 2008. The company has got 7 out of 7 stars for safety and 3 out of 5 stars in the product category.

4. HK Express

As the name suggests, HK Express is a Hong Kong-based airline that recently started out in 2013. This company is Hong Kong’s first and only low cost carrier and operates a fleet of A320s. The company’s network extends not only to Hong Kong but also to other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Cambodia and Vietnam. While the company has received 7 out of 7 stars in terms of safety it has an average product rating with only 2.5 out of 5 stars.

5. JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU)

The U.S. based low cost carrier JetBlue Airways Corporation is considered as one of the best airlines in the world with the maximum stars (7 out of 7) not only in safety but also in the product category. This airline operates both big and small aircraft and also offers a business class category. It’s services and products are considered to be better than even other full service carriers and was awarded as the Best Low Cost Carrier award for the Americas in 2014. JetBlue Airways currently has a wide network spread out across North and South America. The stock performance over the last five years of  the company has been average  in comparison with other full services carriers such as  Delta Air Lines, Inc.(NYSE:DAL) and  American Airlines Group Inc(NASDAQ:AAL).

6. Jetstar Asia

Jetstar Asia is a Singapore based airline, next on the list of safest low cost airlines in the world, which offers economy class only in its flights. This is one of the defining features of a number of low cost carriers to offer a single class of seats to reduce costs. Successful low cost carriers standardize aircraft and seating in order to reduce procurement and maintenance costs. This airline is majority owned by Singaporean company Westbrook Investments (with Qantas Group holding the rest. The company has got the maximum number of stars for safety, but has 3 out of 5 stars for product quality.

7. Jetstar Group

Jetstar Group is an Australian company which offers both short and long haul flights to its passengers. This company is a network of low cost carriers operating across the Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. The Jetstar Group consists of Jetstar Australia, Jetstar New Zealand, Jetstar Asia, Valuair, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Hong Kong and Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam. It was rated as the Best Low Cost Carrier award for Asia/Pacific in 2014 and is the largest low cost carrier in Australia. The company has 7 out of 7 stars in safety and 3 out of 5 stars in the product category.

8. Thomas Cook Airlines

Thomas Cook Airlines is based out of the United Kingdom and operates as leisure charters to different places in the world mainly for passengers based out of England. The company got an average rating of 2.5 stars in the product category and the maximum rating in safety. The company started out in 2000 as JMC Airlines before changing its name to Thomas Cook Airlines in 2003. Besides long range charter flights, the company also operates short haul flights across the country.

9. Virgin America

Virgin America is another low cost airline like JetBlue on our list of safest low cost airlines in the world, which has got the maximum marks in both the safety and product category. This US based LCC offers three classes of seats to its passengers – Economy, Premium Economy and First Class. The airline started in 2007 and was the first low-cost carrier to offer long haul routes within United States such as east to west coast services. The company only operates two types of aircraft A319 and A320 and provides both WiFi and TV services to its passengers. Virgin America was acquired by Alaska Air Group, Inc.(NYSE:ALK) in 2016 and is expected to merge it with Alaska Airlines by 2018.

10. Vueling

Vueling is a Spanish airline that was launched in 2004 and operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft in Europe. The company has received a decently good 3.5 out of 5 stars in the product category and all 7 stars in safety. The company gives both economy and business class to its consumers and offers a relatively high 23 kg baggage allowance. The company merged with another LCC Clickair in 2009.

11. WestJet

Lat but not the least on our list of 11 safest low cost airlines in the world is WestJet. It is another top ranked low cost airline which has received high revises in both product and safety ratings. This Canadian LCC provides two classes of seats – Economy Class and Plus Class. It has a long operating history of almost 20 years and currently operates to destinations in Canada, US, Mexico and Central America. West Jet exclusively uses the Boeing 737 aircraft and provides live satellite TV within Canada.

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