Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have released preliminary analyses of worldwide accident data showing 2013 to be one of the safest years in airline history.
The statistics indicate that 2013 “was the safest year ever recorded” in terms of fatalities in scheduled international air transport operations, according to ICAO. While the number of fatal accidents involving scheduled commercial operations remained steady at nine, the number of people who died in those accidents declined dramatically from 2012. According to ICAO data, there were 372 fatalities in 2012, but that number dropped 53.5 percent to 173 last year (Figure 1). Of the nine total fatal accidents worldwide in 2013, seven occurred during the approach or go-around phases of flight, ICAO said.
The ICAO statistics refer to scheduled commercial operations involving aircraft having a maximum takeoff weight of more than 5,700 kg (12,500 …
