As the former Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, a pilot, aviation professor and being an aviation lawyer for decades, I get a lot of questions. Here are some of the most common, and possibly the best bits of information for air travelers to know:
- Where are the safest seats on a plane? Near the greatest concentration of exits. If there is an emergency, your best bet is being able to get out of the airplane quickly. Read the emergency instruction card when you sit down. It could be the best use of one minute of your life if it results in you saving yourself (and possibly others) after a crash.
- When is the safest time to fly?Summertime is the safest season to fly. Earlier in the day is the safest time of day to fly. More accidents occur later in the day when the pilots are tired, especially when the weather is bad and there have been delays.
- How does weather influence air safety?Weather is a factor in a majority of accidents. Fair weather flying is safest. The most dangerous weather conditions are icing and Level 5 or 6 thunderstorms.
- What is more dangerous, flying over land or water?Water is more dangerous because there are fewer alternative landing strips. Also, there are areas of dangerous turbulence over parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
- Where are the most dangerous airports?Airports with short intersecting runways are the most dangerous. The general rule is that older airports have the more dangerous taxiway and runway configurations. Midway in Chicago is more dangerous than O’Hare, for example. Long runways with clearly marked taxiways that do not cross active runways and have no hazards at the ends, such as water, buildings or mountains are the safest.
- What is the most dangerous portion of a flight?Takeoff and landing - the first 3 minutes and the last 3 minutes of your flight.
- Which planes are the safest?The newer, bigger jets are the safest, by an overwhelming majority. If you get on a new, big airliner, after the first 3 minutes, you can take off your shoes, put on your sleep mask and relax—until time to land, then put on your shoes. Newer planes not only have the best technology, but they also have new parts that break less often.
- What can a passenger can do to protect him/herself during a crash?Know where the exits are and be prepared to get out. Fast.I have represented many air crash survivors and they have one thing in common, they got themselves off of the plane, through smoke, fire, rain or hydraulic fluid, whatever it took. Several saved other lives too.
- How should a traveler at the gate react if they are told that their plane is delayed due to mechanical difficulties?With patience and understanding, but switch to another flight if you can. Practically speaking, you can usually get booked onto another flight if the reason for the delay is mechanical. Mechanical delays often lead to cancellations. Also, the best mechanics are not always located at the airport, nor do they have the equipment needed to make the appropriate repairs.
- What are the odds of being a victim of a fatal airline accident?On a regularly scheduled commercial airline, your risk of being in an accident is about 3 in 100,000 takeoffs. The numbers vary from source to source, but generally speaking, your risk of dying is about one in 90 million. This article on the risks of air travel from PBS breaks it down even more.
So what does that mean? It means people DO survive airplane accidents-- 95 percent of air travelers survive a crash. So, help yourself and the brave flight attendants who are charged with helping you to survive (not just bring you beverages), by dressing and acting appropriately.
By the way, I don’t drink alcohol on planes for that reason. I wear slacks and sensible shoes. I carry a flashlight and a smoke hood. I am going to get that emergency exit open and if you are seated next to me, I will drag you out with me because I want to live and I want you to live also.
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FAQs
Another reason why air travel is safer than car travel is that aircrafts are equipped with multiple backup systems and state-of-the-art technology to mitigate the impact of any failures. Flight dispatchers play a crucial role in ensuring flights are routed around adverse weather and potential hazards.
How air travel affects our lives? ›
Flying can cause temporary effects, such as ear discomfort, jet lag, and dehydration. It can also increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, many people take flights without any health complications.
How did air travel become so safe? ›
Aviation experts point to three main factors making flying safer than ever: More federal regulation. The advancement in technology and engineering. The FAA's self-reporting programs encourage airline operators to come forward without fear of repercussions, which hasn't always been the case.
Is air travel really the safest? ›
Yes, flying is much safer today than it used to be. In fact, it is one of the safest modes of transportation. According to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in a commercial airplane crash are about 1 in 11 million.
Is air travel still the safest? ›
Still the safest means of travel
In 2023, there were no fatal accidents for jet aircraft, leading to a record-low fatality risk rate, according to the report. More specifically, a person would have to travel by air every day for 103,239 years to experience a fatal accident, based on statistics.
Who should not fly on Airplanes? ›
Who should not travel by air? Diseases that prevent you from boarding a plane
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- A recent stroke.
- Infectious diseases, such as chickenpox, influenza or even COVID-19.
- A recent surgery.
- A pregnancy of over 28 weeks.
- Angina (chest pain at rest)
Being in high altitudes, (at least 5,000 to 11,500 feet above sea level) can increase a person's blood pressure because of the low level of oxygen. At high altitudes, the heart works harder to pump oxygen, causing additional stress and resulting in increased blood pressure.
Does flying affect your stomach? ›
“People on longer flights may experience more bloating, nausea or constipation.” After landing, Khan says, your body gets back to normal by way of burping or “passing flatus” over time. Adding our sedentary behavior to the mix can contribute to belly woes.
Is flying safer than driving? ›
Air travel is safer than driving on highways in the US, according to data from the US Department of Transportation (DoT). Passenger injuries and fatalities in air travel were significantly lower than in passenger cars and trucks for each year between 2002 and 2020.
Why do people love flying? ›
It's a means to a great end. Flying is fun because it'll take you places. Granted, flights to your destination are more fun than flights back, but I just love that feeling of anticipation and excitement that takes over when you head out to the airport on the first day of your holiday.
In the airline safety category, aviation accidents, injuries and fatalities in aviation accidents and fleet age were considered. Spirit came out on top as the safest airline of 2024 in WalletHub's study.
Is a plane safer than walking? ›
And that's because flying across the sky is safer than walking across the street. Airplanes produce fewer deaths per mile than cars, ferries, trains, subways or buses—and the chances of dying in a crash are roughly the same as getting struck by lightning while reading this sentence.
Is a plane safer than a train? ›
Train vs.
And the answer depends on how safety is measured. If you look at fatalities per billion miles traveled, airplanes are clearly safer. If you look at fatalities per trip, trains are almost six times safer! But what is clear is that both modes of transportation are extremely safe compared to buses and cars.
What is the safest transport? ›
The safest mode of transportation is air travel. According to the National Safety Council, the fatality rate per mile traveled for commercial air travel is 0.00007, which is the lowest of any mode of transportation.
Is a plane safer in the air than on the ground? ›
Cruising at several thousand feet is perfectly safe. But idling on an airport runway might not be. Flying is now safer than ever. In 2013 only 265 people died in airplane accidents—out of 31 million commercial flights worldwide.
In which layer is air travel the safest and why? ›
Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid the turbulence which is common in the troposphere below. As stratosphere has a higher altitude, the air in this layer is dry and few clouds are found which provides a smoother ride. Q.
Is air travel safer than train travel? ›
And the answer depends on how safety is measured. If you look at fatalities per billion miles traveled, airplanes are clearly safer. If you look at fatalities per trip, trains are almost six times safer! But what is clear is that both modes of transportation are extremely safe compared to buses and cars.
What is the biggest threat to safety at an airline? ›
6 Major Threats to the Aviation Sector
- Outdated System and Technological Infrastructure Failure. ...
- Pilot Shortage. ...
- Climate Change. ...
- Volatility of Oil Prices. ...
- Reputational Damage. ...
- Issues with the U.S. Government.
