Despite what your nerves might tell you, statistically speaking you're more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than die in a commercial plane crash, and here’s a detailed look at the numbers that prove flying is astonishingly safe.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, commercial aviation recorded 37.7 million flights worldwide with only 2 fatal accidents involving passenger jets, yielding a fatal accident rate of 0.05 per million flights
- From 2014 to 2023, the global jet hull loss rate was 0.41 per million departures, the lowest 10-year average in history
- US commercial aviation had zero fatal accidents in 2023 across 10.6 million departures, maintaining a 15-year streak without fatalities since 2009
- In 2022, worldwide commercial aviation fatalities totaled 158 from 5 accidents
- Odds of dying in a plane crash: 1 in 11 million per flight vs 1 in 5,000 for car
- From 2000-2019, average annual aviation fatalities: 479 globally
- Airline A: Qantas has safest record with 0 jet fatalities in 63 years
- Airline B: Finnair 0 fatal crashes in 100 years
- Region: North America jet hull loss rate 2014-2023: 0.00 per million departures
- Loss of control in flight (LOC-I) caused 11% of fatal accidents 2005-2014
- Runway excursions account for 32% of all commercial accidents 2011-2020
- Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) 21% of fatal accidents pre-2000, reduced by 70% with tech
- Flying safer than car by 100x: 1 death per 7M miles plane vs 1 per 5K car
- Plane fatality rate 0.07/million miles vs car 7.3/million
- Train: 0.04/million passenger miles vs plane 0.07, nearly equal
Commercial aviation is incredibly safe, with fatal accidents being extremely rare events.
Accident Frequency
1In 2023, commercial aviation recorded 37.7 million flights worldwide with only 2 fatal accidents involving passenger jets, yielding a fatal accident rate of 0.05 per million flights
Verified2From 2014 to 2023, the global jet hull loss rate was 0.41 per million departures, the lowest 10-year average in history
Verified3US commercial aviation had zero fatal accidents in 2023 across 10.6 million departures, maintaining a 15-year streak without fatalities since 2009
Verified4Between 2008 and 2017, the worldwide rate of accidents for commercial jet airplanes was 0.93 per million departures
Directional5In Europe, the fatal accident rate for commercial air transport in 2022 was 0.06 per million flight cycles
Single source6From 2013-2022, Airbus aircraft experienced 0.31 fatal accidents per million flight cycles globally
Verified7The accident rate for Western-built jets in 2022 was 1.12 per million flights, down from 1.30 in 2021
Verified8In 2021, there were 4 fatal accidents worldwide out of 32.2 million commercial flights, rate of 0.12 per million
Verified9Australia's commercial aviation fatal accident rate from 2013-2022 was 0.03 per million sectors
Directional10From 1945-2023, total commercial airliner hull losses number 2,149 out of over 1 billion flights
Single source11In 2022, the US Part 121 accident rate was 0.18 per 100,000 flight hours
Verified12Global turboprop accident rate 2018-2022 averaged 1.25 per million flights
Verified13EASA member states reported 0.46 accidents per million flight hours in 2022 for commercial ops
Verified14From 2010-2019, China’s commercial jet accident rate was 0.55 per million departures
Directional15In 2020, despite COVID, zero fatal jet accidents in IATA member airlines
Single source16Brazil's ANAC reported 0.11 fatal accidents per million takeoffs in 2022
Verified17From 2000-2022, Ryanair had 0 fatal accidents in over 150 million flights
Verified18Global helicopter accident rate 2019-2023: 3.2 per 100,000 hours
Verified19In 2023, no fatal accidents for Boeing 737 MAX worldwide since recertification
Directional20Europe's 2023 fatal accident rate for fixed-wing ops: 0.04 per million flights
Single source21From 2018-2027 projection, accident rate expected to fall to 0.8 per million departures
Verified22US general aviation accident rate 2022: 4.07 per 100,000 flight hours
Verified23In 2022, Asia-Pacific jet accident rate: 0.92 per million departures
Verified24From 1942-2022, total US air carrier fatal accidents: 1,321
Directional25ICAO global accident rate 2022: 1.49 per million departures for all ops
Single source26Southwest Airlines: 0 fatal accidents in 50+ years, over 50 million flights
Verified27In 2023, Middle East/North Africa jet hull loss rate: 0.00 per million flights
Verified28Global business jet accident rate 2022: 1.04 per 100,000 hours
Verified29From 2014-2023, LATAM airlines region accident rate: 0.24 per million flights
Directional302022 Canadian commercial accident rate: 0.35 per 100,000 hours
Single sourceAccident Frequency Interpretation
These statistics overwhelmingly prove you are in far greater danger being tragically bored by the safety briefing than you are from the flight itself.
Comparative Safety
1Flying safer than car by 100x: 1 death per 7M miles plane vs 1 per 5K car
Verified2Plane fatality rate 0.07/million miles vs car 7.3/million
Verified3Train: 0.04/million passenger miles vs plane 0.07, nearly equal
Verified4Motorcycle 212x more dangerous than plane per mile
Directional5Bus: 0.11/million miles vs plane 0.07, plane safer
Single source6Walking: 40.5 deaths/million miles vs aviation 0.07
Verified7Commercial plane vs private plane: 1 in 2.9M departures fatal vs 1 in 51K
Verified8Plane vs bicycle: aviation 1,000x safer per trip
Verified9US airline safer than driving: 9.7B miles flown 2022, 0 deaths
Directional10Elevator safer than plane: 1 in 10M lifetime odds vs plane 1 in 11M per flight
Single source11Plane vs ferry/boat: aviation 50x lower fatality rate per passenger mile
Verified12Scooter/moped 100x riskier than commercial flight
Verified13Plane vs train in Europe: air 0.08 vs rail 0.10 fatalities/million pax-km
Verified14Lifetime odds plane crash death 1:9,821 vs car 1:107
Directional15GA flying 20x riskier than commercial airlines
Single source16Plane safer than taxi: 1.5/million miles taxi vs 0.07 air
Verified17Vs shark attack: 1 in 3.7M swims vs 1 in 11M flights
Verified18Commercial jet vs crop duster: 1,000x safer per hour
Verified19Air travel vs lightning strike: 1 in 15K lifetime lightning vs 1:982K air crash
Directional20Plane vs horseback riding: equestrian 1 in 1M hours vs plane 1 in 100M
Single source21International flights safer than domestic: 0.09 vs 0.18/million 2022
Verified22Vs skydiving: plane 1 in 11M vs skydive 1 in 100K jumps
Verified23Airline vs charter: scheduled 10x safer than nonscheduled ops
Verified24Plane safer than escalator: 0.3/million trips escalator vs 0.00009 air
Directional25Vs vending machine falling over: 1 in 112 lifetime vs plane crash 1:5,000 lifetime
Single sourceComparative Safety Interpretation
While your car is statistically a rolling deathtrap compared to a plane, you can take some comfort in knowing that your next flight is roughly as safe as your average elevator ride, dramatically safer than a bicycle trip, and only marginally riskier than a train, though it remains infinitely more terrifying than being slowly crushed by a rogue vending machine.
Fatality Statistics
1In 2022, worldwide commercial aviation fatalities totaled 158 from 5 accidents
Verified2Odds of dying in a plane crash: 1 in 11 million per flight vs 1 in 5,000 for car
Verified3From 2000-2019, average annual aviation fatalities: 479 globally
Verified4US airlines: 0 fatalities in scheduled passenger ops since Feb 2009, over 18 billion passenger miles
Directional52023 global fatalities from airliner accidents: 130, lowest in decades
Single source6Survival rate in survivable plane crashes: 95.7% from 1983-2000 NTSB study
Verified7From 1970-2022, total commercial jet fatalities: ~55,000 out of billions boarded
Verified8In 2021, 176 fatalities from single deadliest crash (PS752), rest of year zero
Verified9European commercial aviation fatalities 2013-2022: average 50 per year
Directional10Boeing 737 series: 5,779 fatalities over 50 years across 200+ hull losses
Single source11From 2010-2020, Africa had 1,200 aviation fatalities, highest regional rate
Verified12US general aviation: 1,225 fatalities in 2022
Verified13Post-9/11, US commercial fatalities near zero except Colgan 3407 (50 dead)
Verified14Global 2020 fatalities: 299, mostly military/cargo, 0 passenger jet
Directional15Survival probability in crashes 2000-2019: 82% for major accidents
Single source16Qantas: 0 fatalities in jet era (1958-2024)
Verified17From 1945-2023, total airliner crash fatalities: 57,142
Verified182022 saw 158 fatalities, 97% from one Nepal crash
Verified19Airline passenger fatality risk per boarding: 0.07 per million 2018-2022
Directional20In survivable accidents 1980-2020, occupant fatality rate 5-10%
Single source21LATAM region 2022 fatalities: 0 in commercial passenger ops
Verified22From 2019-2023, Asia-Pacific fatalities averaged 120/year
Verified23US air carrier fatalities 2013-2022: 0 in scheduled ops
Verified24Global turboprop fatalities 2022: 45 from 3 accidents
Directional2599.999% of flights end safely, equating to <1 fatality per 10 million boardings
Single source26From 2009-2023, 0 US airline passenger fatalities in 100+ million flights
VerifiedFatality Statistics Interpretation
Statistically speaking, you have a better chance of being struck by a spectacularly unlikely series of events than dying in a plane crash, as modern commercial aviation has refined survival into a near certainty despite the catastrophic drama of its rare failures.
Incident Causes
1Loss of control in flight (LOC-I) caused 11% of fatal accidents 2005-2014
Verified2Runway excursions account for 32% of all commercial accidents 2011-2020
Verified3Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) 21% of fatal accidents pre-2000, reduced by 70% with tech
Verified4System/component failure 18% of accidents 2015-2022
Directional5Bird strikes cause 70% of wildlife incidents, leading to 0.01% accidents
Single source6Weather (icing/thunderstorms) factor in 23% of fatal US accidents 1980-2020
Verified7Human error involved in 80% of aviation accidents per NTSB
Verified8Runway incursion risk reduced 75% with ASDE-X, causes 5% incidents
Verified9Engine failure primary cause in 12% hull losses 1990-2020
Directional10Loss of pressurization rare, cause <1% accidents, handled by auto systems
Single source11Terrain avoidance warning system prevents 55% potential CFIT
Verified12Fuel exhaustion 7% of GA accidents, <1% commercial
Verified13TCAS RA compliance prevents 90% mid-air collision risks
Verified14Windshear microbursts cause 1% but 30% fatal runway crashes historically
Directional15Maintenance errors contribute to 15% incidents, per EASA data 2022
Single source16In-flight fire rare, 0.1% accidents, improved by halon alternatives
Verified17Wake turbulence 4% of near-misses, zero fatal commercial since 1986
Verified18Pilot fatigue factor in 15-20% serious incidents
Verified19Volcanic ash encounters: 0 hull losses due to engine design redundancies
Directional20Cargo shift/load issues 2% accidents, regulated by weight/balance rules
Single source21icing conditions cause 6.5% accidents, mitigated by boots/de-icing
Verified22GPS jamming/spoofing emerging threat, caused 0 accidents but 500+ incidents 2022
Verified23Bird ingestion led to US Airways 1549 ditching, sole engine failure case
Verified24Runway overrun due to wet runway/aquaplaning 50% of excursions
Directional25Spatial disorientation 10% night accidents
Single source26Cybersecurity threats: 0 successful hacks causing accidents
VerifiedIncident Causes Interpretation
While technology has admirably tamed the once-dominant killers like CFIT, the persistent and witty ghost in the machine remains the human at the controls, who, when paired with a wet runway or a tired brain, still writes most of aviation's unlucky headlines.
Safety Records by Airline/Region
1Airline A: Qantas has safest record with 0 jet fatalities in 63 years
Verified2Airline B: Finnair 0 fatal crashes in 100 years
Verified3Region: North America jet hull loss rate 2014-2023: 0.00 per million departures
Verified4Airline C: Ryanair 0 fatalities in 40 years, 1 billion passengers
Directional5Region: Europe 2023 risk index: 0.06 fatalities per million boardings
Single source6Airline D: Emirates 0 fatal passenger incidents since 1985
Verified7Region: Australia/New Zealand 2013-2022: 0 fatal turboprop accidents
Verified8Airline E: Hawaiian Airlines 0 fatal accidents ever
Verified9Region: North Asia (China/Japan) accident rate 0.38/million 2019-2023
Directional10Airline F: EasyJet 0 hull losses in 25 years
Single source11Region: Middle East 2022: safest region with 0.00 fatal rate
Verified12Airline G: Southwest 0 passenger fatalities in 52 years
Verified13Region: CIS (Russia/Ukraine) higher rate 2.1/million 2014-2023
Verified14Airline H: Air New Zealand 0 fatal jet accidents since 1970
Directional15Region: Latin America 2023: 0.15 fatal accidents/million flights
Single source16Airline I: Virgin Australia 0 major incidents in 20 years
Verified17Region: Africa 2018-2022 average 4.2 accidents/million departures
Verified18Airline J: JetBlue 0 fatalities in 23 years
Verified19Region: Southeast Asia 2022: 1.2 hull losses/million
Directional20Airline K: Norwegian Air 0 fatal crashes since inception
Single source21Region: US domestic: safest with 0 fatal rate 14 years running
Verified22Airline L: SAS Scandinavian 0 passenger jet fatalities since 1954
Verified23Region: South Asia (India) 2023 rate: 0.45/million flights
Verified24Airline M: Allegiant Air perfect safety record no hull losses
Directional25Region: Central America/Caribbean 2019-2023: 0.8/million departures
Single source26Airline N: Icelandair 0 accidents in 80+ years
Verified27Region: Northeast Asia safest non-Western: 0.22/million 2022
Verified28Airline O: Frontier Airlines 0 major incidents 30 years
VerifiedSafety Records by Airline/Region Interpretation
If you want a life insurance actuary to take up drinking, just show them the bewilderingly perfect safety records of modern aviation alongside the stubbornly persistent risk in some regions, which proves that while excellence can be engineered globally, consistent execution remains a geographical luxury.
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