This finding is not questioned by the latest setbacks of Boeing and the crashes of the 737 MAX of Lion Air [4] in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines [5] in March 2019.
Number of aviation accidents and deaths distribution per year (2013-2018)
| Year | Accidents | Deaths | Passengers | Flights | Passengers carried Number of deaths | Number of flights Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | ||||||
| 2018 | 15 | 556 | 4 300 | 37.8 | 7 733 813 | 67 986 |
| 2017 | 10 | 44 | 4 100 | 36.7 | 93 181 818 | 834 091 |
| 2016 | 16 | 303 | 3 800 | 35.4 | 12 541 254 | 116 832 |
| 2015 | 10 | 537 | 3 500 | 34 | 6 517 691 | 63 315 |
| 2014 | 18 | 961 | 3 300 | 33 | 3 433 923 | 34 339 |
| 2013 | 23 | 256 | 3 100 | 32 | 12 109 375 | 125 000 |
Despite a relatively low number of airplaneaccidents, the year 2018 witnessed quite a heavy death toll, with 15 disasters reported during this year claiming the lives of 556 people.
The 29 October 2018 Boeing 737 MAX [6] crash of Lion Air, off the coast of Indonesia, alone, caused the disappearance of 189 passengers andcrewmembers. This disaster came shortly after that of Boeing 737 of Cubana de Aviaciôn in Cuba on 18 May 2018, leaving 112 people dead.
The human losses reported in 2018, stand among the highest in the 2013-2018 period, ranking just after those reported in 2014 with 961 deaths.
Unlike 2014 and 2018, 2017 remains the safest ever reported by civil aviation. The ten claims sustained during this period had killed 44 people. With 39 deaths, the Turkish Airlines crash of 16 January remains the deadliest in 2017.
By way of other comparisons, the year 2017 accounts for 1 death per 93 million passengers carried and for 834 091 flights. 2018 accounted for 1 death for 7 million passengers and for 67 986 flights whereas in 2014, we reported 1 death for 3 million passengers and 34 339 flights.
Aviation accidents and death likelihood
The 2020 aviation risk report compares the different causes of death worldwide. It found that travel by plane remains much safer than cars whereby other events that may endanger human lives.
Death likelihood based on causes of mortality
| Type of accident | Number of deaths |
|---|---|
Car accident | 1/103 |
Bicycle accident | 1/4 047 |
Gun attack | 1/8 527 |
Dog attack | 1/115 111 |
Plane crash | 1/188 364 |
Lightning | 1/218 106 |
The likelihood of death by plane crash is lower than that of a dog attack or a bicycle accident while death in car accidents remains the highest cause of mortality.