If you flew in 2017 on a commercial passenger jet you experienced the safest year ever according to the Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 and the Aviation Safety Network.

The report states only two fatal accidents, both involving small turbo-prop aircraft, with a total of 13 lives lost. No jets crashed in passenger service anywhere in the world.

But Mr Young, senior aviation consultant for To70, told The Independent: “It is unlikely that this historic low will be maintained; in part, these very positive figures rest on good fortune. Nevertheless, the safety level that civil aviation has achieved is remarkable”.

He cautioned: “The risks to civil aviation remain high as shown by the seriousness of some of the non-fatal accidents.” They included, he said, “the spectacular loss of the inlet fan and cowling of an engine on an Air France A380” over Greenland in September.

“That the aeroplane continued to operate safely to a diversion airport and was then flown home for repair on three engines says a lot about the robustness of the aeroplane.” – Independent

In a very rare occurance last year, a tourist was killed by jet blast that was standing too close to the runway on the Caribbean island of St Maarten.

Featured image via pixabay public domain