The commercial airline industry worldwide posted its lowest rate of major accidents ever in 2010. Still, the numbers of smaller crashes and fatalities overall rose, pointing to persistent safety problems.
According to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, the frequency of major crashes involving Western-made planes last year declined to one per 1.6 million flights, slightly below the previous record low set in 2006. Last year’s rate reflected 17 major accidents, meaning crashes in which an airliner was destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
The 2010 rate was down 42 percent from 2001 and, as The Wall Street Journal reports, is only about one-fifth of where it stood in the 1980s.
However, the number of minor crashes ticked up in 2010, and fatalities overall rose by 15 percent, to 786.
There have been no U.S. airliner fatalities for the last two years, but recently released figures showed that near accidents are growing more common in the American skies.
To further reduce aviation dangers, the IATA, whose members account for 93 percent of all air traffic, is advocating a new round of voluntary regulation. For instance, the IATA is starting a trial program to bring in outside experts to review the carriers’ maintenance procedures.
The airlines as well as federal regulators already are required to conduct regular checks, but IATA argues that more outside supervision would add a layer of protection. IATA also has sought to promote information-sharing and industry-wide safety and maintenance standards to prevent fatal accidents.
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