Given the recent news on plane crashes, can we still say that airplanes are the safest modes of transportation? Aside from mechanical problems and weather issues, the rising threat of terrorism has contributed to the danger of flying. In fact, in 2015, Metrojet Airbus A321 was downed in Egypt after it was bombed midair. ISIS, a terrorist network in the Middle East, has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Malaysia Airlines MH17 also crashed over Ukraine in 2014 just a few months after MH370 disappeared. Though the blame is placed on the Russian government, there is still no clear conclusion until now. These recent incidents made all of us feel even more worried about flying.
Though there is still a certain level of risk that comes with flying, the truth is that it is still considered safe. A January 2016 Aviation Safety Network report revealed that 2015 was in fact the safest year in airline history. This is considering the low number of accidents that took place. There were only 16 fatal airline accidents. Airline accidents have also drastically dropped relative to the figure just a few decades ago.
In fact, even 2014 when two Malaysian Airlines planes crashed, there were only 21 fatal accidents that happened. This is way lower than the 10-year average of 33 accidents per year. The number of deaths might have been higher at 989, but it was still deemed a safe year.
Significant changes
There are a lot of reasons behind the decline in airline accidents. One of them are the efforts made by various international organizations, requiring airlines to follow more security regulations and do the necessary changes to ensure that each flight is safe. They have also learned from recent incidents to implement changes. For instance, the issue of using an automatic data feedback has become a central issue again with the loss of MH370. According to reports, if only the data were immediately sent back, there would be no need to search for the black boxes in search for answers. This was not well-accepted by various airlines though due to the amount that they have to spend to implement this feature.
The crash of Germanwings in 2015 where the pilot decided to lock himself in the cockpit before driving the plane down the French Alps has also prompted changes in policies. It is now required to always have two people in the cockpit to avoid similar incident from happening again.
Are you still scared?
All of us will always feel anxious with the thought of being placed several feet up in the air with the possibility of an accident happening any time. However, we can feel relaxed knowing that authorities are doing everything they possibly could to ensure that these crashes are prevented. Also, based on statistics, flying is still one of the safest transportation modes today. In fact, driving is considered 100 times more dangerous. Walking on the streets or bicycling is also worse. There is really no such thing as a very safe mode of transportation considering the possibility of accidents anywhere.
For those who still feel uneasy when it comes to flying, it is best to choose airlines that have been ranked as the world’s best. In terms of safety, Airlineratings.com announced the top 20 in 2016. You may choose from any of the airlines mentioned – Emirates, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, United Airlines, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
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