The number of fatal accidents in the commercial aviation industry and the related fatality risk declined in 2022 from both the previous year and the five-year average for 2018–2022, according to new data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA recorded five fatal accidents in 2022, compared with seven accidents for both the previous year and the 2018–2022 annual average, the IATA 2022 Safety Report, issued March 7 as what the organization called an online interactive resource. The decline in 2022 came despite an increase in total flights, which had been depressed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total flights numbered 32.2 million in 2022, compared with 25.7 million in 2021. The five-year 2018–2022 average was 34.4 million flights.
The five fatal accidents recorded in 2022 resulted in 158 fatalities, up from 121 in 2021; the five-year average was 231, the report said…
