Recently a friend asked me what airlines were the
safest to fly. I get asked that question all the time. I find the question challenging in part because of the chasm between risk and perceived risk.
For example, most air travelers will
admit to some anxiety about the safety of their flight, but few worry much
about the taxi in which they are speeding to the airport. Travelers are also treated to end-of-the-year news reports
about the world’s most dangerous airlines based on fatalities.
That’s a false relationship as I’ve reported before.
Sometimes, however, it is obvious what airlines to avoid. I
was reminded of that today when I read the latest in the ongoing saga of
America’s low cost carrier Allegiant. According to William Levesque in the
Tampa Bay Times, a group of investors in the airline are calling for Allegiant to create a special safety committee after a number of emergency landings and
maintenance problems that have plagued the airline.
