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2017 'safest year' for air travel as fatalities fall | 2017 'safest year' for air travel as fatalities fall |
(35 minutes later) | |
2017 was the safest year in history for commercial airlines, according to industry research. | 2017 was the safest year in history for commercial airlines, according to industry research. |
There were no passenger jets crashes anywhere in the world, separate reports by Dutch consultancy To70 and The Aviation Safety Network found. | There were no passenger jets crashes anywhere in the world, separate reports by Dutch consultancy To70 and The Aviation Safety Network found. |
This was despite more flights being made than ever before. | This was despite more flights being made than ever before. |
But To70 warned that despite high safety levels on passenger planes, the "extraordinarily" low accident rate must be seen as "good fortune". | But To70 warned that despite high safety levels on passenger planes, the "extraordinarily" low accident rate must be seen as "good fortune". |
Cargo plane crash | Cargo plane crash |
A report by the Airline Safety Network said there were a total of ten fatal accidents, resulting in 79 deaths last year. That compared with 16 accidents and 303 lives lost in 2016. | A report by the Airline Safety Network said there were a total of ten fatal accidents, resulting in 79 deaths last year. That compared with 16 accidents and 303 lives lost in 2016. |
The organisation based its figures on incidents involving civil aircraft certified to carry at least 14 people. | The organisation based its figures on incidents involving civil aircraft certified to carry at least 14 people. |
The most serious accident of 2017 came in January when a Turkish cargo plane crashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan killing all four crew and 35 people on the ground. | The most serious accident of 2017 came in January when a Turkish cargo plane crashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan killing all four crew and 35 people on the ground. |
And the incident with the most on-board fatalities happened on New Years Eve, when a Nature Air single-propeller Cessna 208 Caravan plane crashed in western Costa Rica, killing 12 passengers and crew. | And the incident with the most on-board fatalities happened on New Years Eve, when a Nature Air single-propeller Cessna 208 Caravan plane crashed in western Costa Rica, killing 12 passengers and crew. |
Neither report counted military or helicopter accidents, meaning the year's worst air disaster, the crash of a Burmese Y-8 military transporter plane, which crashed in June killing all 122 people on board did not appear in the statistics. | Neither report counted military or helicopter accidents, meaning the year's worst air disaster, the crash of a Burmese Y-8 military transporter plane, which crashed in June killing all 122 people on board did not appear in the statistics. |
Incidents involving smaller planes also did not figure in the data. | Incidents involving smaller planes also did not figure in the data. |
Safety improving | Safety improving |
Aviation deaths have been steadily falling for the last two decades. In 2005, there were more than 1,000 deaths on-board commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network said. | Aviation deaths have been steadily falling for the last two decades. In 2005, there were more than 1,000 deaths on-board commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network said. |
The last fatal passenger jet airliner accident took place in November 2016 in Colombia, and the last commercial passenger aircraft crash to kill more than 100 people occurred in Egypt a year earlier. | The last fatal passenger jet airliner accident took place in November 2016 in Colombia, and the last commercial passenger aircraft crash to kill more than 100 people occurred in Egypt a year earlier. |
ASN said the accident rate was one fatal passenger flight accident per 7,360,000 flights. | ASN said the accident rate was 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 organisations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry," ASN president Harro Ranter said. | "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 organisations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry," ASN president Harro Ranter said. |
Dutch consultancy To70, estimated there was now one fatal accident for every 16 million flights, though its report was compiled before the Costa Rica crash. | Dutch consultancy To70, estimated there was now one fatal accident for every 16 million flights, though its report was compiled before the Costa Rica crash. |
"2017 was the safest year for aviation ever," the firm's Adrian Young said, but added civil aviation still carried "very large risks". | "2017 was the safest year for aviation ever," the firm's Adrian Young said, but added civil aviation still carried "very large risks". |
He pointed to new technology including fears of lithium-ion batteries catching fire on-board, as well as "mental health issues and fatigue," among the main risk factors for the industry. | He pointed to new technology including fears of lithium-ion batteries catching fire on-board, as well as "mental health issues and fatigue," among the main risk factors for the industry. |
And he highlighted that there were "several quite serious non-fatal accidents" including the "spectacular" failure of an engine on an Air France A380. |