Airplanes: the safest means of transport!
5 min reading
Published on May 15, 2024 by Nicolas Coccolo
Airplanes: the safest means of transport!
At a time when air crashes strike fear into the hearts of the general public because of the sheer number of victims and the damage caused, air accidents are actually extremely rare. That's why they get so much press coverage. In fact, air travel is the safest mode of transport in existence. I'll explain it all in detail.
How do I know which is the safest mode of transport? Criteria taken into account
Several criteria are taken into account when comparing and ranking transport according to safety.
The first is to compare the annual number of accidents for each mode of transport. Next, it is customary to count the number of fatal accidents. Finally, it is customary to assess accident frequency. For this, accidents are divided by the number of hours or kilometers. The latter value is the most reliable.
Airplanes top the list of safest means of transport!
There are several organizations reporting statistics on the safety of means of transport. Among the biggest names are the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
According to the latter, there will be 39 air accidents worldwide in 2022, including 5 fatalities. The number of air fatalities worldwide for the same year was estimated at 142.
By way of comparison, in France alone, over 3,260 people were estimated to have died in road accidents that same year.
To a lesser extent, but still much higher, there were 46 fatal rail accidents in France alone in 2022, and 603 deaths from maritime accidents in 2022 in France alone.
If we look at the frequency of air accidents versus car accidents, the results are just as striking. It is estimated that there is 1 accident per million flight hours worldwide, compared with 1 car accident every 62,000 km in France alone.
Why is the plane the safest mode of transport?
As you can see, the statistics speak for themselves, highlighting the safety of air travel. But how can we explain this safety? After all, we're in a gigantic flying tin can, aren't we? We can explain why the airplane is the safest means of transport by 3 very specific reasons.
The technologies and safety standards put in place to minimize the risk of air accidents.
The aviation industry is one of the most advanced fields in terms of new technologies. It is constantly introducing ever more sophisticated navigation systems, collision avoidance devices and innovations in aircraft design and construction.
What's more, safety procedures and standards to reduce the risk of air accidents are numerous, which further enhances aircraft safety. Here are just a few examples.
All airliners have at least two engines, which means that each aircraft can compensate if one breaks down. In fact, all modern aircraft have been cleverly designed to be able to fly with just one engine, even over very long distances like the Airbus A380, for example.
In the same way, the failure of all engines is also provided for in safety protocols. An airliner, for example, has a cruising speed of 800 to 900 km/hour, which means it can take advantage of its inertia for a further 400 km if its engines stop. This gives the pilot time to land the aircraft safely see article on aircraft glide ratio Finally, mechanical faults are revealed in every accident thanks to the aircraft's black box. These data enable the manufacturer to continually improve its models with each new delivery, making each aircraft safer than the next.
Rigorous procedures and training for pilots and cabin crew
The aircraft's crew is also an important asset in enhancing the safety of this means of transport. There are two types of crew: cabin crew CFF (including flight attendants) and flight deck crew FDC (including captain and co-pilot).
All cabin crew undergo rigorous training. In the European Union, each flight attendant must hold a CCA (Cabin Crew Attestation) certificate, attesting to all the skills required for cabin service. As part of this training, cabin crew learn first aid and protocols to follow in the event of an incident.
Similarly, in the event of a breakdown or accident, cabin crew must ensure passenger safety, anticipate and reduce panic, and demonstrate composure, responsiveness and team spirit.
As far as airline pilots and cabin crew in general are concerned, there are several training courses available to become an airline pilot. However, they are all extremely demanding and selective. In particular, you'll need to hold a certain number of flying certificates, complete at least two years' training to learn the trade, and pass advanced fitness tests.
What's more, early-career pilots never start out as captains. They start out as co-pilots, which allows them to continue training throughout their career. Finally, the pilot is never alone in the cockpit, and the cockpit is continuously closed. This reduces the risk of hijacking and potential errors. In addition, this protocol helps to prevent potential mishaps due to discomfort.
Aircraft maintenance and inspection standards
One of the reasons why airplanes are the safest means of transport is that they are the most closely monitored means of locomotion. In fact, every aircraft undergoes systematic checks after every flight, as well as more thorough overhauls at regular, pre-defined frequencies. In general, these frequencies are calculated in terms of flight hours or number of landings/take-offs.
To ensure that airlines do not commit fraud, these checks are carried out byindependent establishments supervised by the authorities in each country. In this way, no company can evade them, and all are examined in exactly the same way.
Finally, before each take-off, the pilot performs a thorough inspection of the aircraft to ensure that it is operating correctly. The DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile - French Civil Aviation Authority) can even carry out surprise inspections of aircraft before take-off, and greatly penalize companies presenting aircraft with severe defects.
My final words on the safest means of transport
To conclude, air travel is unquestionably the safest means of transport. Although this is a great asset, it is undoubtedly what gives it such a bad reputation in the eyes of the general public. Indeed, as air crashes are extremely rare, they receive far more press coverage than road accidents, for example. Yet this mode of transport is one of the most closely monitored in the world. see article Who's afraid of flying?
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