If you’re terrified of flying, these are the safest airlines in the world

IF you've a fear of flying, you're likely to find this very reassuring.

Not only was last year one of the safest periods in air travel history, now we can reveal the airlines that are the least dangerous to fly with.

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According to research by top aviation safety and product rating review website , the safest airline in the world for the fourth consecutive year is Qantas.

The company is the flag carrier airline of Australia and its largest airline by fleet size, international flights and international destinations.

The website has ranked it number one, largely due to its impressive fatality-free jet-liner record, and heralded it as a leader when it comes to safety innovation.

Other airlines to make the top 20 include, in alphabetical order, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Delta,  Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United and Virgin Atlantic.

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The researchers also worked out which low-cost airlines fared best - among the top 10 are Aer Lingus, Flybe, HK Express, JetBlue, Thomas Cook, Vueling and WestJet.

Unlike many low-cost carriers, these aviation firms have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which has over 1,000 audit items and excellent safety records.

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To compile its list, AirlineRatings.com considered factors such as "audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations; government audits; airline’s crash and serious incident record; profitability, and fleet age," as well as the individual airline’s record for spearheading new safety technology.

A spokesperson for the site said: "The AirlineRatings.com top 20 have always been at the forefront of safety innovation and launching of new aircraft and these airlines have become a byword for excellence."

Despite there being several high-profile plane crashes last year, 2016 was actually one of the safest periods for air travel.

Over the course of the year, there were seven fatal aircraft incidents, which resulted in 271 deaths – a  number which is down on previous years.