Register

Last Year Was Good For Airline Safety Despite Boeing Issues

The airlines posted a reasonably safe year, though 11 of 20 fatal accidents occurred within North America. Julie Boatman
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Despite significant incidents like the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash, 2019 was globally the seventh safest year on record for airlines, with 20 fatal accidents claiming 283 lives.
  • North America experienced a notable increase in fatal accidents in 2019, accounting for 11 of the 20 global incidents, many occurring in rugged or remote regions of Alaska and Canada.
  • The overall fatal accident rate of just one per 2 million flights demonstrates a substantial and continuous improvement in aviation safety over the past decades.
See a mistake? Contact us.

The Aviation Safety Network, an arm of the Flight Safety Foundation, reported 2019 was still one of the industry’s safest, despite the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max in March that claimed 157 lives. Last year wasn’t accident-free, however. ASN says 20 airline accidents around the world claimed 283 lives. Even when accounting for those 283 fatalities, 2019 ranked as the seventh safest year on record for the airlines.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE