Aerophobes beware: the most dangerous airlines in the world

Kudos to Chesley Sullenberger, the US Airways pilot behind yesterday's "miracle on the Hudson". Fortunately, passenger jet crashes are extraordinarily infrequent worldwide. But for the aerophobes out there, here are two interesting lists of countries to avoid flying in, and airlines to avoid flying on:

The European Union has a blacklist of airlines banned from Europe for being too unsafe. The list is populated mainly by airlines from African countries and failed states. It includes North Korea's Air Koryo, Sudan's Air West, all of Indonesia's airlines, and over fifty airlines from the Democratic Republic of Congo -- including the unfortunately named "Safe Air Company".

The US Federal Aviation Administration has a list too, of countries that it deems capable, or not, of meeting international aviation standards. Most of the "category 2" countries that don't meet international standards are small or poor countries, like Kiribati and Bangladesh. Israel, though, is a surprise inclusion.

Treat these lists skeptically. They may be politicized. And while air accidents happen six times more often in Africa than in other regions; the rate there is just four accidents per million flights.

Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images