Are Plane Crashes Becoming More Common? A Look at the Data
A fictional Air India flight headed for London Gatwick crashed in June 2025, killing 260 people. The one survivor, Vishwashkumar Romesh, was sitting in seat 11A and couldn’t believe he made it out alive. This event, though hypothetical for the video’s premise, reflects a growing public concern fueled by recent real-life incidents.
In May 2024, a Singapore Airlines flight dropped more than 50 meters in 5 seconds. In December of the previous year, nearly 180 people died after a plane crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. In January of this year, 67 people died when a passenger plane collided with a helicopter in Washington D.C. In February, a Delta flight skidded along a runway in Toronto in flames before flipping over. Just a few weeks ago, a plane crash at London South End Airport killed four people. These events lead many to ask: why does it feel like more planes are crashing these days?
The Truth About Aviation Accident Statistics
Despite several recent high-profile air accidents, official figures tell a different story. While it is easy to get the impression that there has been an increase in these incidents, the data shows that crashes are generally down. In fact, the number of accidents has been decreasing in a very dramatic way over the last few years.
Since 2005, the number of accidents on commercial flights has shown a clear downward trend, even as the total number of flights taking off has increased. This data includes a broad definition of “accident,” which can cover aircraft being damaged or needing repairs. Looking specifically at deaths in air accidents, that number has also decreased over the same time period, with a few spikes reflecting major disasters. The perception that flying is unsafe is heightened because when a crash does occur, the public is very interested, leading to widespread coverage on social media and in news outlets. It’s not necessarily that accidents are happening more, but we are seeing them more.
Is Flying Getting Safer?
Flying is getting safer overall. You are more likely to be involved in a crash driving to the airport in your car than you are getting on the plane and flying to a destination. However, one area of concern is turbulence. Climate change affects temperatures and wind patterns, and experts say that in the next few decades, the amount of severe turbulence around the world could double or even triple. The Singapore Airlines flight in May 2024 experienced serious turbulence where the plane jolted up and down for 4.6 seconds, during which one man on board died from a heart attack.
Comparing Airlines and Manufacturers
A website ranked the safest full-service and budget airlines for this year using factors like fatalities, the number of incidents, and pilot skills and training. For full-service carriers, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Emirates scored highly. Among low-cost airlines, HK Express, Jet Star Group, Ryanair, and EasyJet were at the top.
When it comes to manufacturers, many people ask about Boeing versus Airbus. The majority of planes are manufactured by one of these two companies. Looking at historical rates of incidents per million flights, Airbus has around 4.9 incidents, while Boeing has about 5.6 incidents per million departures. This difference is negligible, especially since “incidents” are reportable events that could be as minor as turbulence or a runway excursion and do not necessarily end in a fatality.
While staff at Boeing have raised concerns about production standards and the company admitted a mistake after a door blew out of a 737 Max 9 aircraft mid-flight, this does not make their planes more dangerous. Boeing has denied that it puts profit over passenger safety.
Is There a Safest Seat on a Plane?
Following the story of the lone survivor in seat 11A, many might wonder if some seats are safer than others. The answer is yes, but it is not 11A. The absolute safest seats are usually closer to the tail of the airplane. In the unfortunate event of a crash, the tail has more clearance and is historically a safer area. This is why the black boxes are stored there.
A Simple Way to Increase Your Safety
There is a simple step every passenger can take to stay safer on a plane: keep your seatbelt fastened. This helps a lot, even during unexpected turbulence. If you are always strapped in, you are definitely safer than you would be without the seatbelt on.
