On Frontier Airlines flight 990 from Denver to San Antonio, a mysterious fume-like odor in the rear of the aircraft caused four crew members to feel nauseous after landing, leading to their evaluation by emergency medical personnel, while passengers disembarked unharmed.
Regarding airline safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides comprehensive data and statistics on various aspects of aviation, including airline safety and incidents. This information is crucial for understanding the frequency and nature of such incidents in the aviation industry.
The FAA’s data covers a wide range of topics, from accident and incident data to airline on-time statistics and delay causes, offering insights into the operational safety and efficiency of airlines. This data is essential for regulatory bodies, airlines, and the public to monitor and improve the safety standards in aviation.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its 2022 Safety Report for global aviation, revealing significant insights into airline safety. The report indicated a decrease in both the number of fatal accidents and the fatality risk compared to 2021 and the five-year average from 2018 to 2022.
In 2022, there were five fatal accidents, down from seven in 2021, and the fatal accident rate improved to 0.16 per million sectors from 0.27 per million sectors in 2021. The all accident rate was 1.21 per million sectors, a slight increase compared to 1.13 accidents per million sectors in 2021. The fatality risk declined to 0.11 from 0.23 in 2021.
IATA member airlines experienced one fatal accident in 2022, resulting in 19 fatalities. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, emphasized that accidents in aviation are rare, with only five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights in 2022. He noted that flying is among the safest activities, but it is not risk-free. The report highlighted the need for special efforts on turboprop operations in Africa and Latin America to enhance safety.
The report also showed that the all-accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry in 2022 was four times better than the rate for non-IOSA airlines. The 2018-2022 accident rate of IOSA airlines versus non-IOSA airlines was more than twice as good. Walsh stated that IOSA continues to be the global standard for operational safety audits, contributing to raising the safety bar even higher.
In terms of regional safety performance, the global average jet hull loss rate rose slightly in 2022, compared to the five-year average. Five regions, including North America and Europe, saw improvements or no deterioration compared to the five-year average. However, turboprop hull loss rates increased in regions like Latin America/Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.
Walsh highlighted the importance of implementing global standards, including IOSA, and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS) to reverse this trend in these regions.
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