The Hindu Business Line : Air transport fatalities in 2004 lowest in 59 years

THE number of passenger fatalities in scheduled airline operations in 2004 was the lowest since 1945, according to data obtained from ICAO Journal, an International Civil Aviation Organisation publication.

In 2004, the number of passenger fatalities in scheduled airline operations stood at 203, the lowest since 1945, when the number of fatalities was 247. While the figures do not take into account security-related accidents, the number of fatalities in 2004 does not appropriately reflect an improvement in the safety of the global air transport system. This is because the number the fatal accidents in commercial operations in 2004 went up to 60, from 48 in 2003. This has been attributed largely to the number of fatal operations involving cargo operations. In fact, fatal accidents related to cargo operations went up to 25 in 2004, from 11 in 2003. The number of fatal accidents in scheduled commercial operations went up from 27 in 2003 to 33 in 2004.

According to the publication, the rate of fatal accidents per million scheduled airline departures dropped to 0.45 in 2004, from 0.47 in 2003.

This was because the estimated increase in traffic volume in 2004 was proportionately larger than the marginal increase in the number of fatal accidents.

In 2004, there was one aircraft hijacking compared with three in 2003. The number of attacks or attempted attacks on airports in 2004 has been pegged at four, compared with 10 attacks or attempted attacks in 2003, according to ICAO Journal.

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