In recent news, there have been several high-profile aviation crashes and incidents that may have some questioning the safety of air travel. While there has definitely been an uptick in media reports about aircraft incidents, air travel is still considered one of the safest modes of transportation.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a study that found the fatality rate of commercial air travel was around one person per every 13.7 million passenger boardings for the years 2018 through 2022. That’s a significantly lower death rate than what was reported in previous periods. For example, the period from 2008 through 2017 has a fatality rate of one out of every 7.9 million passengers who boarded aircraft.
Do recent crashes show a safety shift?
The fact that there were four major aircraft incidents in North America within a month may have some wondering if this shows a shift in the safety of flying. Because of the range of causes and aircraft involved, it doesn’t appear that these incidents were the result of anything that would indicate a shift in safety. The four crashes included:
- Commercial passenger plane that flipped upside down with no fatalities
- Commuter plane that crashed with 10 fatalities
- Medical transport jet that led to seven fatalities of plane occupants and a bystander on the ground
- Military helicopter and a commercial passenger plane crashed, with 70 fatalities between both aircraft
Air travel is still regarded as a safe mode of transportation, but the recent news of major plane crashes highlights the importance of safety. Passengers who suffer injuries in aircraft incidents should explore their right to seek compensation for the damages that they’re dealing with.