At 100, Commercial Aviation Safer Than Ever: EASA
There were no fatal accidents involving large commercial air transport aircraft in EASA Member States during 2013 and only 224 fatalities worldwide, well below the annual average of 703 between 2003 and 2012.
Noting that 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation, the European Aviation Safety Agency also reports that commercial airlines compiled the best safety record in aviation history last year: Worldwide fatal accidents involving large commercial air transport aircraft were lower in 2013 than any other year in the last decade, with 17 accidents, compared with a yearly average of 27, and the number of fatalities worldwide in 2013 was 224, compared with a yearly average of 703 between 2003 and 2012.
No fatal crashes took place during 2013 that involved large commercial air transport airplanes in EASA Member States, when airline operators performed approximately 6 million commercial air transport flights and carried more than 800 million passengers.
"Europe continues to have one of the strongest safety records in the world, however, this positive picture cannot be taken for granted. As traffic over European skies and worldwide increases, we need to continue our efforts to maintain and even improve aviation safety," said Patrick Ky, EASA's executive director.
Work continues on improving safety through the European Aviation Safety Plan, according to the agency, which will soon publish its Annual Safety Review for 2013. It is an overview of all major sectors of European aviation, including commercial air transport and general aviation.
In the United States, board members of the National Transportation Safety Board will participate in a news conference Thursday, Jan. 16, to discuss their 2014 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements. The event will begin at 10 a.m. EST. The list in connection is being release in conjunction with the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board.