If you're nervous about flying in 2018, remember this: 2017 was the safest year in aviation history, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

This was no small feat considering that 2017 was also likely to be the busiest year ever for commercial flights.

While factors like new technology and changes to global regulations account for a large part to this success, it's still impressive considering close to 3.7 billion people flew in 2016, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

To recognize those leading the way, AirlineRatings.com released its annual list of the world's safest airlines. Of the 409 airlines it monitors, 20 stand out as the “best of the best,” says AirlineRatings.com's editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas.

According to Thomas, the site only looks at serious incidents in making its determinations.

Safety innovation, operational excellence

“All airlines have incidents every day and many are aircraft manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. And it is the way the flight crew handles incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one. So just lumping all incidents together is very misleading. Our Top 20 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.”

Related: Leaving on a jet plane? Here are the top 20 safest airlines for 2016

Whether you're about to depart or arrive, you can't go wrong with one of these airlines. Above are the 20 safest airlines for 2018, in alphabetical order.