On a morning when the mystery of MH370 remains headline news, a quick look at the ratings:

Top of the ranking from AirlineRatings.com of the safest carriers in 2013 is the Australian airline Qantas.

Awarding it a full seven stars, the website cites the airline's fatality-free flying record from the beginning of the jet era in the early 1950s.

Other airlines sharing the seven-star rating and winning a place among the top 10 safest airlines are, in alphabetical order, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Royal Jordanian, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

There can be some debate about the list, but it remains apparent that the Far East is the home of some of the most impressive large carriers, with the Middle East a close second.