Flying is 'safer than ever before'

Travellers around the world are safer on aircraft now than at any other time previously, according to a new study.

Every day, six million people travel by air and they are 22 times safer in aircraft than they are being on the road, Boeing and the US National Safety Council stated.

Since 1960, air safety records have improved from 45 fatal accidents per million departures to less than one every million today as the industry learns from accidents and technology helps the sector.

The USA and Europe were the safest places to fly, while Africa had a slightly worse accident record.

One of the safest airlines in the world is Qantas - the national carrier of Australia - which, until last month, had an unblemished record.

However, an incident between London and Melbourne on a Qantas Boeing 747 left a huge hole in the undercarriage of the plane when part of its fuselage broke away, forcing an emergency landing in Manilla.

Posted by Penny, 18 August 2008 14:52

News tags

Search for flights

To select a preferred airline, cabin class, Open Jaw, direct flights or to search for flights to other destinations, please use our Advanced Flight Search

Departing from

Going To

Return One Way

Departing