Aviation deaths rise globally in 2020 despite drop in accidents and flights

In 2020 there were 40 accidents involving large passenger aircraft, five of which resulted in 299 deaths

Soldiers carry a coffin containing the remains of one of the eleven Ukrainian victims of the Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 plane disaster during a memorial ceremony at the Boryspil InternaShow more

The number of people killed in plane crashes globally increased to 299 in 2020, despite a reduction in passenger flights.

Crashes declined by more than half, compared to the previous year, figures compiled by Dutch aviation consultancy To70 show.

In 2020 there were 40 accidents involving large passenger aircraft. Five of these were fatal, resulting in 299 deaths.

In 2019 there were 86 accidents. Eight of them were fatal, resulting in 257 deaths.

The fatal accident rate for large commercial aircraft was 0.27 fatal accidents per million flights in 2020, or one fatal accident every 3.7 million flights, To70 said in its annual aviation safety review. This was up from 0.18 fatal accidents per million flights in 2019.

The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the aviation industry into its worst crisis in history.

The number of commercial flights at the end of 2020 was down 41.7 per cent from 2019, according to FlightRadar24 data.

The deadliest aircraft accident last year involved the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 in Iran in January that killed 176 people.

It accounted for more than half of all the deaths outlined in the To70 review.

The second most serious crash in terms of the number of fatalities was the Pakistan International Airlines incident in May, in  which 98 people died, the review showed.

An Air India Express crash killed 21 in August.

Other fatal incidents involved  Turkey's Pegasus Airlines, with three fatalities in February, and Southwest Airlines with one death in May.

In 2017, the industry recorded a historic low of two fatal accidents, both of regional turboprops, resulting in the loss of 13 lives.

"While the aviation industry looks to recover in 2021 and beyond, significant efforts are being placed on assuring that the low levels of operations these past months do not adversely affect safety in the future," the consultancy said in its review.

Training all operational staff and providing refresher courses are considered the top priorities.

As some of the jets idled by the pandemic are brought back into service, airlines and airports must address maintenance needs and parking surfaces, the consultancy said.

"2021 will be a challenging year for the industry, we must not become complacent as travel restrictions ease and traffic levels increase," it said, adding that the industry needs to "intensify its focus" on safety as planes are brought back into use.

At the end of 2020, Boeing re-entered its 737 Max jet into service after regulators lifted a 20-month safety ban. It remains to be seen whether the intense scrutiny over its testing and re-certification will be enough to restore passenger confidence in the model, the consultancy said.

To70's review examines accidents only involving large passenger aircraft used by most travellers. It excludes small commuter aeroplanes.