ICAO Calls 2017 Aviation’s Safest Year Ever

The latest safety report published by the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, the aviation arm of the United Nations, says 2017 was the safest year on record for civil aviation, excluding general aviation. The report provides a high level summary of ICAO's safety initiatives and achievements to enhance aviation safety last year, along with key safety performance indicators pertaining to the 2013–2017 time period.

By the numbers, ICAO says last year there were 4.1 billion passengers travelling on scheduled commercial air services worldwide that resulted in 50 fatalities. Nonetheless, this rate of 12.2 fatalities per billion passengers represents the safest year on record for aviation. The number of fatal accidents declined to five from seven in 2016, also the lowest number on recent record.

Despite a spike in fatalities due to a number of acts of unlawful interference in 2014 and the tragic events that caused significant loss of life in 2015, there was a general trend toward fewer fatal accidents and fatalities over the past 10 years. The report also shows that in 2017, the number of significant safety concerns (SSCs) declined by 50 percent, from 8 in 8 States in 2016 to 4 in 4 States last year.