Australian carrier QANTAS has topped a list of the world’s safest airlines for boasting a clean, fatality-free safety record for more than 60 years.

The latest safety index published by Airlineratings.com comes after a tragic year in aviation history. While 2014 saw the lowest number of fatal airline accidents — 21 — two of the crashes from Malaysia Airlines were unprecedented, claiming 537 lives, editors note.

In 2014, a total of 986 lives were lost — higher than the 10-year average.

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For the index, editors look at safety audits from aviation bodies such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), government audits, the airline’s operational history, operational performance and incident records.

A total of 449 airlines were surveyed.

World’s safest airlines in alphabetical order:

Air New Zealand
Cathay Pacific Airways
British Airways
Emirates
Etihad Airways
EVA Air
Finnair
Lufthansa
Qantas
Singapore Airlines

World’s safest low-cost carriers, in alphabetical order:

Aer Lingus
Alaska Airlines
Icelandair
Jetstar
Jetblue
Kulula.com
Monarch Airlines
Thomas Cook
TUI Fly
Westjet