The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has finally released the 2019 Safety Report looking into aircraft accidents and the number of fatalities during the last year.

In total, in 2019 there were 53 accidents resulting in 1.13 accident rate or 1 accident every 884,000 flights. Eight accidents out of 53 were deadly ones involving 4 jet and 4 turboprop. The disasters resulted in 240 fatalities (and seven fatalities on the ground during Busy Bee Congo accident).

In 2018, therefore, there were 62 accidents (1.36 accident rate or 1 accident every 733,000 flights).  These included 11 fatal accidents with 523 fatalities. Thus, the report shows that the year 2019 was safer than 2018.

“The release of the 2019 Safety Report is a reminder that even as aviation faces its deepest crisis, we are committed to making aviation even safer. Based on the 2019 fatality risk, on average, a passenger could take a flight every day for 535 years before experiencing an accident with one fatality on board,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The biggest tragedy of 2019 was the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 in March, 2019, claiming the lives of 157 people. Also, Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash-landing resulted in 41 fatality.