The year 2023 marked a milestone for commercial air travel safety, as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Wednesday.
Despite a significant increase in passenger flights, last year was declared the safest ever for commercial air travel.
According to the IATA’s annual report, the sole fatal accident involving a passenger plane occurred when an ATR turboprop operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines crashed during a domestic flight, claiming the lives of 72 individuals.
Additionally, the report identified 29 non-fatal accidents in 2023 that did not result in fatalities or the loss of the aircraft.
Comparatively, in 2022, there were a total of 42 accidents, with five being fatal and resulting in the loss of 158 lives.
The IATA defines a non-fatal accident as an event causing damage amounting to at least $1 million or 10% of the plane’s value. It’s important to note that IATA statistics exclude business, military, private, maintenance, or training flights.
The IATA highlighted that 2023 witnessed the lowest fatality risk and “all accident” rate on record. Remarkably, the data revealed that on average, a person would need to travel by air every day for over 100,000 years to experience a fatal accident.
Despite a 17% increase in the number of flights, totaling 37.7 million, the IATA emphasized the continued safety of air travel. Representing approximately 320 airlines, which account for 83% of global air traffic, the association underscored the industry’s commitment to enhancing safety measures.
However, the IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, acknowledged that while flying remains one of the safest activities, there is always room for improvement.
Walsh pointed to two high-profile incidents in January 2024 as a reminder of the ongoing importance of safety protocols.
In Japan, a Japan Airlines A350 Airbus safely evacuated passengers after bursting into flames at a Tokyo airport. Similarly, in the United States, a panel blew off the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX during an Alaska Airlines flight, fortunately resulting in no serious injuries
