AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY IMPROVES SAFETY PERFORMANCE IN 2013

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 2013 was the safest year in terms of commercial airline jet fatalities. The low number of fatalities can be attributed to regulatory and industry efforts to continuously improve safety performance by the introduction of enhanced technology, new designs and strict certification standards to aircraft over the years. This has both reduced the number of accidents and increased passenger survivability, enhanced by further improvements to cabin safety.

Worldwide, for the year 2013 as a whole, there were seven major accidents involving large western-built commercial airline jets, which resulted in a total of 115 fatalities. This represented a loss rate of one major accident for every four million flights. Looking back over the past five years, the industry has more than halved the average major accident loss rate, due to continuous improvements in safety performance.

Asia Pacific carriers experienced three major accidents involving large western-built commercial airline jets, which resulted in a total of 24 fatalities.

Turboprop operations also maintained their good safety record, but remain in focus as they continue to experience somewhat higher accident rates compared to larger jet aircraft operations. Many of these commercial turboprop operations are carried out in more challenging environments and conditions, which can be considered a contributory factor.

Mr. Andrew Herdman, Director General of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) commented, “Flying is the safest form of travel, and now part of everyday modern life. The positive outcome for 2013 is that the number of major accidents remains extremely low with just seven losses from more than 30 million commercial flights worldwide. Furthermore, the number of fatalities has declined significantly due to the improved survivability of accidents. This excellent performance reflects the introduction of modern technology and operational procedures that place passenger safety above all else.”

He added, “Aviation in the Asia Pacific region has been expanding rapidly and effective safety oversight needs to match this growth. AAPA’s safety objective is to deliver further positive improvements in safety performance, recognising that this can only be achieved through the joint efforts of the region’s operators, working in close partnership with regulators and other involved stakeholders. AAPA continues to be fully supportive of the latest ICAO safety objectives, including those addressing further enhancements to runway safety, approach and landing procedures, wildlife hazard management, and wider deployment of safety management systems.”

Mr. Herdman also noted, “In addition to large commercial jet operations, greater attention also needs to be focused on turboprop aircraft operations. We need firm regulation to ensure that all carriers operate to the highest international standards, including wider deployment of automated terrain awareness warning systems for all commercial operations.”

Mr. Herdman concluded, “Passengers can be assured that flying is safer than ever, thanks to the efforts and commitment of a wide range of aviation industry stakeholders in the sharing of safety data and the development of best safety management practices.”