This toll is below the 10-year average of 19 large-scale losses. This is also the third safest year after 2017 and 2015 which reported, each, 10 major plane crashes.
Over the past year, 37.8 million flights were performed worldwide, accounting for one fatal plane crash in 2.54 million flights. This indicator was one accident for 7.6 million flights in 2017.
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Aviation safety in 2018: a heavy human toll
If the indicators in terms of plane crashes [5] are green, it is not the case for the human toll. 556 passengers and crewmembers lost their lives. This is the heaviest human toll since 2014. The deaths' annual average is set at 514 over a ten-year period.
Out of the 15 plane crashes recorded in 2018, 12 involved line flights. The three others related to cargo flights.
The most deadly crash took place on 29 October in Indonesia. It claimed the lives of 189 people aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8 of the Indonesian company Lion Air.
This toll excludes military transport accidents which would bring the number of fatal events to 25 and the human toll to 917 deaths. Alone, the crash of the Algerian Air force Il-76 TD Ilyushin, which took place on 11 April 2018, had cost the lives of 257 people.
Evolution of the number of plane crashes and human losses: 2009-2018
| Year | Number of accidents | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15 | 556 |
| 2017 | 10 | 44 |
| 2016 | 16 | 303 |
| 2015 | 10 | 537 |
| 2014 | 18 | 961 |
| 2013 | 23 | 256 |
| 2012 | 18 | 418 |
| 2011 | 32 | 511 |
| 2010 | 27 | 831 |
| 2009 | 23 | 725 |
As a reminder, in terms of aviation safety, 2017 is considered as the safest year of all time with 10 aircraft accidents and 44 human losses.
Read also | Plane crashes in 2017 [6]