Each year the safety data for airline travel aboard commercial aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds just keeps getting better in the United States according to the International Air Transport Association. There hasn’t been a major U.S. airline accident in years. Worth noting is that last weekend’s AtlasAir Boeing 767 crash near Houston that claimed the lives of the three crewmembers aboard would not be counted in these IATA statistics because Atlas does not carry passengers.
IATA Releases 2018 Airline Safety Performance
Key Takeaways:
- Despite an increase in accidents and fatalities compared to a record-low 2017, global commercial aviation in 2018 showed an improved accident rate of 1.35 per million flights when compared to the five-year average (2013-2017).
- While the overall number of accidents and fatalities increased in 2018 to 11 and 523 respectively, the long-term trend indicates flying is becoming safer, with significant improvements compared to previous periods.
- Specific regions like Sub-Saharan Africa achieved notable safety improvements, recording zero jet hull losses and fatalities for the third consecutive year, though turboprop aircraft still represent a significant portion of fatal accidents globally.
- IATA is actively working to enhance safety through initiatives like "Turbulence Aware," a new global platform for sharing real-time turbulence reports among airlines.
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