There is relief at last for billions of flyers with the launch today of the world’s first comprehensive airline rating system.

AirlineRatings.com was created by award-winning Australian aviation editor and author, Geoffrey Thomas. The site was developed by Geoffrey and a team of aviation editors who have forensically researched airlines flying today.

The airlines are rated from one to seven stars on both safety and product quality – with seven being the highest ranking. “While air travel has never been safer and we found a record number of 137 airlines with a seven-star safety ranking, 43 have just three stars or less,” said Geoffrey.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record.

“We view safety holistically and objectively using only internationally recognised audits from the most respected bodies,” said Geoffrey.

While major airlines in Australia and New Zealand scored very well with high ratings for both safety and product quality, many of those flying in Africa and Indonesia today scored very poorly.

“As someone who typically flies more than 75 days a year, I can tell you, it’s important to know more about the airline you’re about to hop onto than merely what they’re serving for lunch! In some parts of the world, people may be better off considering road or train options than risking a flight,” he said.

“For example, if you’re flying from London to Moscow, do you think Belavia Airlines would be a safe bet or not?” he added. “It is highly likely you haven’t heard of them and you may prefer to opt for a different airline, and yet Belavia has a perfect score of seven for safety.”

The painstaking work took more than two years and the result is a website with the most comprehensive collection of independent information about airlines, their safety ratings, product quality, aircraft types, lounge reviews, and much more.

AirlineRatings.com will be updated continuously to add new reviews, incorporate new information and re-rate airlines based on their demonstrated safety.

“We believe AirlineRatings.com is the best website for people flying today, people planning to travel and those working in the travel industry who need quick, independent and reliable information for their clients,” said Mr Thomas.