On February 28, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which looks after the logistics of commercial aviation, such as airport codes and ticketing, released its 2023 annual safety report. There were 37 million movements last year, including jet-powered aircraft and turboprops. This represents a 17% increase when compared to 2022, indicating a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic economic downturn.

A closer look at accidents in 2023 

In 2023, only 30 incidents involving turboprops and jet aircraft were recorded. According to IATA, this represents one accident in 1.26 million flights. This is less than the 2022 figure, with 42 accidents overall, representing one accident in every 0.77 million flights. These numbers may seem daunting. However, they prove that accidents onboard aircraft, regardless of propulsion and regardless of the region, remain extremely rare, thus proving that flying remains the safest means of transportation available.

Unfortunately, there was one recorded fatal accident involving an ATR 72 in Nepal when Yeti Airlines flight 691 crashed on the final approach to Pokhara airport on January 15, 2023. All passengers and crew perished. The most probable cause of the accident was human error, as one of the pilots accidentally selected the feathered position in flight.

How is aviation one of the safest ways to travel? 

Despite the infrequent hull losses, aviation remains an extremely safe way of getting around because the industry has a strong safety culture; each incident is investigated by local authorities, such as the American National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), who issue recommendations. OEMs systematically follow these, thus reducing the risk of similar accidents happening again.

Flying in the US, Europe, and Australia is significantly safer than driving a car. You are more likely to be involved in a car accident than onboard an aircraft. The odds are roughly 1.2 million, and the chance of that being fatal is one in 11 million. Compared to driving, which is 200,000 times higher, averaging around one in 5,000.

As each year goes by, air accidents become rarer, as showcased by the data from the past four years, and despite the accidents that occurred in Q1 2024, they can remain hopeful that this trend will follow.