Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 2017 was the safest year for civil aviation since plane crash statistics were first compiled in 1946, according to two industry studies. A total of 10 crashes of civil passenger and cargo planes claimed 44 lives, said the Aviation Safety Network in a statement published on Jan.01, 2018.
“The year 2017 turned out to be the safest year ever for commercial aviation,” ASN said, adding that five of the fatal accidents involved cargo flights and five passenger flight. The previous year, ASN recorded 16 accidents and 303 lives lost. No major airline crashed a plane, the To 70 agency said in its annual report.
“The past year has been another exceptionally good year for civil aviation safety,” To 70 said. The chances of dying in a plane crash are now one in 16 million, To 70 researcher Adrian Young said, making air travel the safest means of transport even as worldwide air traffic grew by 3% in 2017 over 2016.