KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was ranked the world’s 16th most reliable airline by a travel website, despite the national carrier suffering two plane crashes last year.
WanderBat’s ranking this month that surveyed 22 airlines gave MAS a score of 85 out of 100, based on the criteria of the number of free checked baggage allowed, flight punctuality and the average age of the fleet.
“Despite the recent tragic disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines plane, the rest of the airlines’ stats still stand firm,” WanderBat said.
Flight MH370 disappeared in March last year and has yet to be found, while Flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine last July, killing all on board.
According to WanderBat, about 74 per cent of MAS flights are on time, which is 0.7 per cent less than the average for all international flights.
MAS also allows economy class passengers to check in two bags for free on international flights, which is the policy for just about 19.3 per cent of international airlines. MAS also charges US$13.14 (RM48.59) for the third bag, which is about US$124.60 (RM460.71) lower than the average price for all international airlines.
The average age of jets in the MAS fleet is 4.6 years, compared to about 10 years for the international average and 10.6 years for the average of the entire airline industry.
MAS ranked just behind Etihad Airways that snagged the 15th spot, while Singapore Airlines ranked number four with a score of 96.
WanderBat ranked Qatar Airways as the world’s most reliable airline, giving it a perfect score of 100.
