Is flying getting safer or less safe today compared with 10 or 20 years ago?
In the last fifteen years or so, the fatal accident rate for passenger aircraft has not significantly changed. What has changed is the number of flights performed around the world, more than doubling during that same time. If you look at the accident rate, things haven’t changed much. If look at the number of accidents, the amount of media coverage, and level of public concern, then flying may seem either more or less safe depending on how much attention is paid by the world media. For example, over a period of about seven weeks in August and September 2005, there were a total of eight events that resulted either in significant numbers of fatalities or were spectacular events that involved no fatalities but that generated intense worldwide media attention. Overall, 2005 had an average number of fatal events, but during those two months there were a heightened awareness of safety on the part of the general public. One problem with talking about safety is that different people use differ
