2013 safest year in aviation history
Source:aircargoworld 2014-1-9 9:27:00
This graph shows the cumulative number of fatal accidents per month worldwide, in commercial air transport, comparing 2013 with 2012 and with the average for the decade 2003-2012. The start of 2014 capped a year of the best safety record in aviation history, according to the European Aviation Safety Agency. The European Union agency reported that fatal accidents worldwide involving large commercial airplanes were lower in 2013 than any other year in the last decade, with 17 accidents, compared with a yearly average of 27. There has also been a significant reduction in the number of fatalities worldwide. In 2013, there were 224 fatalities, compared with a yearly average of 703 between 2003 and 2012. There were no fatal accidents involving large commercial airplanes in EASA member states in 2013. In the same year, airline operators in EASA member states performed approximately 6 million commercial flights. “Europe continues to have one of the strongest safety records in the world, however this positive picture cannot be taken for granted,” Patrick Ky, executive director of EASA, said. “As traffic over European skies and worldwide increases, we need to continue our efforts to maintain and even improve aviation safety.” A great deal of work continues at a European level to further improve aviation safety through the European Aviation Safety Plan. In the coming months, EASA will publish its Annual Safety Review for 2013, providing an overview of aviation safety in Europe and covering all major sectors of aviation.