Latest industry figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has found that the chance of dying in a plane crash more than halved in 2019 compared to 2018. But while flying remains by far the safest form of transport, the figures were affected by a particularly high fatality risk in 2018.
Last year, there were a total of 53 significant accidents, 8 of which resulted in fatalities. Sadly, a total of 240 people were killed in aircraft accidents last year – although that’s down by nearly a third on the five year average of 303 fatalities per year.
IATA concluded that the chance of being involved in a fatal accident was 0.17 out of a million – meaning that, on average, someone would have fly every day for 535 years before experiencing an accident with just one fatality. To be in an accident with 100 per cent fatalities would involve someone travelling every day for 29,586 years.
“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is aviation’s highest priority,” explained IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac. “The release of the 2019 Safety Report is a reminder that even as aviation faces its deepest crisis, we are committed to making aviation even safer,” he continued.
Significant aircraft crashes in 2019 included Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 on March 10, which involved a Boeing 737MAX with the loss of all 157 passengers and crew onboard. The crash led to the decision to ground the 737MAX following a similar accident involving the same model operated by Lion Air in late 2018.
We also witnessed the loss of Aeroflot flight 1492 which made an emergency landing at Moscow–Sheremetyevo airport on May 5. The plane involved was a Sukhoi Superjet 100, a Russian built regional jet which had been plagued with technical issues. Of the 78 people onboard, 48 died as a fire engulfed the plane – other passengers who survived the crash were criticised for slowing down the evacuation by stopping to collect their hand luggage.
