Plane crash fatalities fell more than 50% in 2019

The number of people killed in crashes of large commercial planes fell by more than 50% in 2019, according to an aviation industry study.

Last year 257 fatalities were recorded, compared to 534 in 2018, according to aviation consultancy To70.

That’s despite the high-profile Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in March.

The decrease follows a general trend for the industry that’s seen aviation fatalities fall even as air travel has increased sharply.

In 2019 there were 86 accidents involving large commercial planes, including eight fatal incidents, resulting in 257 fatalities, Dutch aviation consultancy To70 said.

The 157 people killed in a crash involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March accounted for more than half of those deaths.

There was one fatal accident involving large commercial passenger planes for every 5.58 million flights, according to the report.

Last year was “one of the safest years ever for commercial aviation”, according to accident tracking website the Aviation Safety Network.

In 2018, 160 incidents were recorded, including 13 fatal accidents, accounting for some 534 deaths.

Read more via BBC/To70/ASN