What Airline Has The Most Crashes?

Airline Crashes are becoming a part of newspaper headlines so often in recent times.  While it is still one of the safest modes of transportation, the news of such crashes is constantly increasing. From pilot error to technical glitch and weather conditions, a list of reasons can make such fatal accidents occur. While some of the flights crash occasionally, some flights have crashed repeatedly. This blog explores What Airline Has The Most Crashes.

Thus, let’s learn about the airlines with the history of the most crashes.

What Airline Has the Most Crashes?

It is not easy to list a single name for what airline company has the most crashes. Because every airline has some incidents that are unpleasant, but some of them have gone through these unpleasant experiences so many times. 

Let’s go through some of the airlines’ names below in the context of what airline has the most crashes: 

• Aeroflot (Russia)

From the times of the Soviet Era, Aeroflot is infamous for its safety standards. This airline owns the highest number of plane crashes, many of which happened mid-to-late 20th century. Aeroflot has gone through over 200 crashes, topping the list when we discuss what airline has had the most crashes. 

One of the biggest reasons for these crashes is the versatile use of the aircraft during the Soviet era. Being the largest airline in the world at that time, the airline used to run both passenger and cargo flights across the whole Soviet Union. Some of these aircraft were often outdated and were run in extreme weather conditions. Other factors that lead to these fatal incidents were that operations were controlled by the governments at that time, and pilots were given a short training. 

• American Airlines

One of the oldest and largest airlines in the world, American Airlines, also has its place on the list of what airline has the most plane crashes. It has suffered 40 fatal crashes till now. The engine failure of Flight 191 in the year 1979 is one of the top among these catastrophic flight accidents of the airline. The engine failure occurred just after the plane took off, leading to the deadliest plane crash in American history at that time. Most of the plane crashes associated with the airline happened due to mechanical issues, pilot errors, or unforeseen circumstances. One side of American Airlines consists of these crashes and accidents, while the other side constantly focuses on improved safety through advanced technology. While the past of the airline is a sad story, today, the airline is known as the most trusted carrier, along with the world’s largest airline. 

• Air France

This airline has seen several serious crashes in the past. The 2009 crash, consisting of Flight 447, was one of the most notable, taking the lives of all the passengers and crew members on the spot. The crash resulted from the combination of pilot error and technical failures. This catastrophe highlighted the critical issues in pilot training and aircraft automation. Industry-wide safety protocols are improving the situation at the current time. However, the earlier accidents of Air France were also caused by a number of reasons, like navigation difficulties, weather-related challenges, or mechanical malfunctions. But later, the airline worked hard to improve its safety measures. 

Which Global Airline Has Had the Most Crashes?

Let’s take a look at the table below to know how many crashes global airlines have gone through: 

What Results in Fatal Aircraft Crashes? 

Apart from discussing what airlines has the most crashes, below are some of the reasons why flight crashes even occur in the first place:

• Old aircraft/ outdated planes
• Poor safety regulations
• Pilot errors
• Bad weather and air traffic issues

We have made a separate blog earlier on Why Flight Crashes Are Dangerously Increasing in Our World. Prefer to go through it to understand flight crashes in a comprehensive way. 

How Are Plane Crashes Measured? 

The industry uses robust metrics for measuring plane crashes. Majorly used metrics include Accident rates and Fatality rates. Accident rate measures the number of accidents per flight or flight hours. Fatality rates refer to deaths per flight or per distance traveled. 

Let’s know about these metrics in detail below: 

1. Accident Rates: Accident rates measure the frequency of accidents as compared to the amount of aviation activities.  

• Accident Per Million Flights: This metric is a common measurement of the risk of an accident occurring on a particular flight. 
• Accidents per flight hour: This is another notable way to measure accident rates. It can apply to airlines that measure flight hours more closely. 

2. Fatality Rates: Fatality rate measures the loss of lives in an accident. 

• Fatalities per flight: Number of deaths resulting from accidents while taking distance in million or billion kilometers the plane has traveled.
• Passenger fatalities per million enplanements: Commercial airlines use this specific measure to count fatalities. 

Choosing the Safe Lane: Airlines Known for Their Safety Standards 

While some of the airplane crash factors are unavoidable, some airlines are known for maintaining safety standards. There are some airlines that have robust infrastructure and mechanical structure. Full-service airlines with seven-star safety ratings can ensure your full safety. Below are some of them: 

Full-service airlines with seven-star safety ratings: 

Low-cost airlines with seven-star safety ratings

Conclusion: 

When it comes to what airline has crashed the most, there is no specific name. Even we can not take a specific name when the question is what airline has the most crashes 2025? 

In the past, when it was the era of war and freedom, countries used to operate aircraft for a long time, even the outdated ones. However, in recent times, countries are paying attention to using advanced technology to enhance the mechanics of the aircraft and improve security standards. Moreover, there are a number of other factors like Poor safety regulations, Pilot errors, Bad weather, and air traffic issues leading to tragic aircraft crashes. Airlines use metrics like Accident Rates and Fatality Rates to measure the vitality and severity of an accident. While every airline has a history of at least some unpleasant experiences for the question, what airline has crashed the most, the industry is improving the situation at the current time. Nations are paying attention to the importance of improved safety standards, regressive pilot training, and continuously changing the aircraft before they become outdated. 

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