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Sasko Lazarov via Photocall Ireland

Aer Lingus named among the world's top safest low-cost airlines

However the airline’s passenger numbers fell in December.

Updated 9.50pm

AER LINGUS HAS been named as one of the best low-cost airlines in the world when it comes to safety.

That’s according to AirlineRatings.com, which said that Aer Lingus joined: Alaska Airlines, Icelandair, Jetblue, Jetstar,  Kulula.com, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook, TUI Fly and Westjet in that category.

The site surveyed 449 airlines, and said that 149 of those have the top seven-star safety ranking, but almost 50 have just three stars or less.

It named Qantas as the world’s safest airline, saying:

Qantas was the lead airline with real time monitoring of its engines across its fleet using satellite communications, which has enabled the airline to detect problems before they become a major safety issue.

Aside from Qantas, the other top airlines for safety were named as: Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
AirlineRatings.com uses its own rating system, which it says “takes into account a range of factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies such as the FAA and ICAO as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record”.  Meanwhile, its editorial team examine “each airline’s operational history, incident records and operational excellence”.

The site also described 2014 as “a bad year for airline safety, with some of the most tragic and bizarre incidents in modern history” taking place, but added “the numbers can be deceiving”.

It said that there were 21 fatal airline accidents this year, with 986 fatalities, but pointed out that 50 years ago, there 87 crashes, when airlines only carried 5% of this year’s 3.3billion passengers.

Record-breaking year

AER LINGUS HAS reported a record breaking 11 million passengers in 2014.

The figure is up over 3% on the previous year’s passenger numbers of 10.7 million.

The airline’s long haul passenger numbers rose by 20% while its short haul numbers dipped by 1%.

Aer Lingus said it flew a total of 705,000 passengers last month -that’s down 3.8% compared to the 733,000 it carried in December 2013.

The number of passengers taking short flights decreased but the number taking long haul flight rose during the month.

Short haul traffic was down 8.2% to 517,000 passengers compared to 563,000 in December of last year.

While long haul passengers numbers were up 20% to 102,000 – compared to 85,000 in the same month in 2013.

Shares in Aer Lingus have risen since the airline rejected a takeover from the owner of British Airways last month.

- Additional reporting Aoife Barry

Read: Aer Lingus rejects takeover offer from the owner of British Airways>

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50 Comments
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    Mute Dmc
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    Dec 28th 2012, 9:32 AM

    The UK should have no business with an island thousands of miles away next to Argentina. How would we like if they took over the Aran Islands?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:05 AM

    By your logic Ireland is geographically close to France therefore France is entitled to sovereignty over Ireland.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:07 AM

    And most Argentinians have no right to be living in South America!

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    Mute Dmc
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:57 AM

    Mattoid, you are misinterpreting my point. The example I gave was an island a couple of miles off the Irish mainland. It wouldnt make sense to have it under French or British jurisdiction. Its Irish! The same should apply to the Falklands. British Impearlism trying to take over the world is over with!

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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:00 AM

    The UK has annexed territories and planted them with a puppet populations for years. Mattoid is an intellect, no country has a right to take.

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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:02 AM

    But Dmc, the Falklands aren’t a couple of miles of the aregentine coast. They are about 400 miles away.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:38 AM

    And there was no native population to displace – the British were the first to set foot on the islands.

    Given your comments about imperialism, do you also agree that all non-native Argentinians (the vast majority of the population) should withdraw from Argentina?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:00 PM

    My point is that Argentina’s only claim over the Falklands is on the grounds of geographic proximity (a point which you hint at yourself), therefore with that logic what is to stop France making the same claim about Ireland?

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    Mute Chris K
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    Dec 28th 2012, 9:34 AM

    Typical bullyboy tactics employed by the thatcher govt. long may she suffer.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:34 AM

    What a horrible thing to say about the woman. Am sure you would love that if someone said the same about your Ma!

    She was doing what she thought was right for her country and for people who want to stay part of her country. Disagree with her actions all you like but nasty personal comments are childish and immature.

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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:06 AM

    Conor Buggy,

    She was an evil figure and still detested by the majority of Irish people. Tell you what Buggy, if you like her so much, why don’t you leave Ireland and move there. Leave the rest of us alone.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:35 PM

    With eejits such as yourself still in the country I’d be f&&king delighted to! 30 years on and theres still attitudes like that here. Hold on to your hate. I hope it consumes you.

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    Mute _doesnotcompute
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:23 AM

    Not surprising to see the veiled threats from Thatcher’s govt to the Irish Embassy in London.

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    Mute AJ Finnin
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:03 AM

    The French won the Falklands war…let me explain………..

    The French Gov sold exocets to the Argentinians, the Argies were pulverising the brit fleet…….a few weeks into the war the exocets were falling out of the sky harmlessly.

    The French had sold the codes for disarming the exocets to the brits in exchange for billions of pounds worth of north sea oil……

    Here ended the history lesson.

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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:19 AM

    The Argentines only had 5 air lanch Exocets. I believe they had two hits and three misses. Hardly pulverising. Most of the damage was inflicted on the Royal Navy by argentine pilots using plain old fashioned bombs. The Royal Navy were lucky that these bombs failed to explode in a number of cases.

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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:26 PM

    The economic war has starved the British occupied Islas Malvinas which are now cut off from trading with most of latin America due to an Argentine-led economic blockade. This is costing Britain billions of ££££££££ !

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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:53 PM

    The FIs have never been as prosperous Mark. It is Argentina that is the economic basket case. Don’t let your anti-brittishness get in the way of a good rant though!!

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 2:05 PM

    Mark – the British were the first human beings to ever set foot on the Falklands, and they were settled (occupied??) by them long before Argentine even existed!!

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    Mute Derek Mac An Úcaire
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    Dec 29th 2012, 10:23 AM

    connor buggy i dont know if you are english or irish or just plan confused the idea that thatcher cared for anyone is a joke your words (She was doing what she thought was right for her country and for people who want to stay part of her country.)
    who was see looking out for in england during the coal miners strike ? they were her own people were they not?
    the millions unemployed were they her own people ?.

    as for an irish person hating her.
    you have a very short or be it selective memory if you can not see why any one with any knowledge of that evil woman would have feelings of hatred and contempt for her. chris k and mark are entitled to their opinion. I personally hope see has a long and painful illness and has time to reflect on all the pain and suffering she has put on anyone effected by her time on this earth.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:26 PM

    Maybe ask the falkland islanders what they think of her!

    I am Irish and happy to say that I can look back on our past without getting full of hate.

    And she cant remember anything these days as she has dementia. Something I hope you nor Mark or Chris ever has to witness in a family member. Thats why I said his comment was horrible. Nowhere did I say I agreed with her. Read what I actually said!

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    Mute Eoin Bishopski
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    Apr 25th 2013, 9:13 PM

    Maggie was not a nice politician. Hitler was not a nice leader. George Bush was an evil president. Get over it.

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