2017 Was Safest Year for Air Travel on Record
The year 2017 turned out to be the safest year ever for commercial aviation, says data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN).
According to the ASN, there were a total of 10 fatal airline accidents in 2017, resulting in 44 occupant deaths and 35 deaths among persons on the ground. That makes 2017 the safest year ever in terms of both the number of fatal accidents and in terms of fatalities. By comparison, ASN data showed 16 accidents and 303 deaths in 2016.
Five of the recorded accidents in 2017 involved passenger flights. Out of an expected worldwide air traffic total of approximately 36,800,000 flights, that makes for an accident rate of one fatal passenger flight accident per 7,360,000 flights.
“Since 1997 the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline, for a great deal thanks to the continuing safety-driven efforts by international aviation organizations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry, said ASN President Harro Ranter in a written statement.
On December 31, aviation had a record period of 398 days with no passenger jet airliner accidents, the ASN said. Additionally, a record period of 792 days had passed since the previous civil aircraft accident claiming over 100 lives.
One out of 10 accident airplanes was operated by an airline on the European Union’s (EU) “blacklist.”
The ASN is an independent organization located in the Netherlands and an exclusive service of the Flight Safety Foundation. The ASN compiled these figures from its airliner accident database, which it says is based on information from authoritative and official sources.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
