RTL Today - Afraid of flying?: Airplane remains the safest means of transport

Holidaymakers heading abroad may feel uneasy after a string of air disasters, but experts insist flying remains one of the safest options.

With the summer holidays fast approaching, children will be off school for eight weeks, and many people across the country take time off during this period. Most head south to the sea – and that often means getting on a plane.

Especially now, following the tragic crash of the Air India flight on Thursday 12 June, in which more than 240 people lost their lives, many people are concerned. It was the latest in a series of deadly plane crashes. Understandably, fear of flying is increasing.

A brief overview:

In January, a helicopter and a plane collided in Washington: 67 dead
In December last year, a Jeju Air aircraft veered off the runway in South Korea, struck a pylon, and went up in flames: 181 people died, 2 survived
That same month, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed, reportedly hit by a Russian missile. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died, including both pilots and a flight attendant
In February, two planes collided while taxiing on the tarmac in Seattle
In Denver, an American Airlines aircraft caught fire after landing
In April, a sightseeing helicopter crashed in New York

Flying safer than ever

It’s understandable to question whether flying is still a good option for going on holiday. The fact is, flying is safer than ever and accidents are rare – even if they are more dramatic. That also explains why air tragedies tend to stay with us. But each accident also contributes to improving overall flight safety.

Experts confirm that flying remains among the safest modes of transport. Studies and rankings support this, taking into account the number of accidents and fatalities, flight hours per kilometre flown, aircraft age and maintenance, as well as pilot training and experience.

The latest ranking was published by AirlineRatings.com, in collaboration with flight booking platform Skyscanner. They analysed not only the safest airlines globally but also the cheapest. A total of 385 airlines were assessed and the top 25 highlighted.

According to CEO Sharon Peterson, it was a close race between Air New Zealand and Qantas, with just 1.5 points difference. These airlines stand out for exceptionally well-trained pilots and top-tier safety standards, with Air New Zealand operating newer aircraft.

Notably, Iberia and Vietnam Airlines are new additions to the list compared to last year. Korean Air has also climbed into the top 10. However, Singapore Airlines and KLM have dropped out of the ranking.

One airline stands out in particular: HK Express, which has had zero reported incidents – a record in terms of safety. New entries to the top 25 include ZipAir, Jet2, and Air Baltic.

So how safe is flying now?

A recent safety study found that the global risk of dying on board a plane between 2018 and 2022 was around 1 in 13.7 million. By comparison, WHO data from 2023 reported roughly 1.19 million road traffic deaths worldwide – equivalent to two fatalities per minute.