Airlines recorded zero accident deaths aboard commercial passenger jets in 2017. That makes last year the safest-ever for commercial air travel.
The Aviation Safety Network reported today that last year was "the safest year ever, both by the number of fatal accidents as well as in terms of fatalities."
The report noted that while 10 fatal airliner accidents did take place last year, resulting in 44 onboard fatalities, they were limited to cargo aircraft and turboprop planes. The figure includes yesterday's crash of a Cessna into a mountainous area of Costa Rica. That plane was powered by a propeller.
By contrast, in 2016 there were 16 accidents resulting in 303 deaths among commercial airliners. That was low relative to historical figures, as well: as recently as 2005 there were 1,015 deaths aboard commercial passenger aircraft around the world. The last fatal passenger airline accident took place fourteen months ago, in November 2016 near Medellín, Colombia.