Global Aviation Accident Rate

Psychology professor James Reason stated that 90% of the factors causing aviation accidents are human-related. A striking finding, for example, is that a co-pilot's failure to decisively take over from the captain can result in a fatal accident. However, advancements in technology are now minimizing human error, and clear collaborative management among cockpit crews has reduced the number of aviation accidents.

Based on data from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compiled from 2012 to 2018, the highest number of global aviation accidents occurred in 2012, at 3.2 accidents per one million departures. In 2018, the last year recorded, there were 2.6 accidents per one million departures. The most significant decrease in the intensity of aviation accidents occurred in 2016, at 21.4%, or 2.2 accidents per one million departures.

Of the 98 aviation accidents in 2018, 15 were fatal. This figure includes both commercial passenger and cargo aircraft worldwide. The Aviation Safety Network added that one of these accidents involved an airline on the European Union's blacklist, and two others involved airlines from Cuba and Indonesia.