Feel like you’re hearing about problems on planes more frequently these days? While there has been an increase recently in media reporting on mechanical issues during commercial flights, there has not actually been an increase the in the number of issues occurring on commercial planes.
In fact, there were only an average of 36 incidents per year between 2010 and 2023, and this year is on pace to be no different. That’s an astonishingly low number considering that every year there are more than 10 million passenger flights in the United States.
Every day, nearly three million passengers safely fly in and out of U.S. airports.
As Americans finalize their summer vacation plans, many are deciding whether to fly or drive to their destination. Despite the flurry of recent headlines around airplane incidents, in reality, commercial aviation is by far the safest way to travel.