2016 Is One Of The Safest Years For Air Travel

Just how really safe is flying? It seems that many people are asking that question nowadays after the crash of a LaMia Airlines flight near the Colombian city of Medellin this week which resulted in the death of 71 passengers, including some members of a top Brazilian football team.

Other plane-related incidents this year were the highly controversial Paris to Cairo EgyptAir Flight 804 which killed 66 passengers on board while crashing down last May in the Mediterranean, and the Flydubai Flight 981 that crashed in Russia, resulting in the death of another 62 people.

But to alleviate the worries of those who have a fear of flying, this year 2016 is actually on the run on becoming the safest year for air travel in history, with 2015 and 2013 coming close behind. 2014, however, was one of the deadliest years for air travel since the 70s, with the total number of 990 deaths.

This is according to the statistics given by the Aviation Safety Network, which holds a complete record of all air travel-related accidents. In their site, you can see all recent air travel incidents, as well as a database for every flight accident that occurred.

There are more than 3.5 billion booked flights this year, and even if you add in all the lost lives in all the airplane crashes that transpired this year, statistical ratio showed that only 1 death happens per 12,867,647 travelers, unlike last 2015 and other years that came before, according to the Telegraph.

If you look at it that way, the odds of experiencing an airplane crash are very high. Also, air travel is relatively safer among all other forms of transport. Every day there are numerous news reports concerning traffic-related incidents around the globe such as motorcycle crashes, hit and runs, and car crashes. But people are generally more afraid of flying than riding a car. See the record for the safest years in aviation history here.

With the constant advancement of the technology in the world, it's highly probable that scientists and inventors will figure out a way to prevent airplane crashes. Such a tragedy is usually tragic, leaving the families and friends of the fallen passengers heartbroken.