Airline Safety Improves

TravelPulse.com Kate Rice reports, "The International Air Transport Association said that the 2011 accident rate for Western-built jets was the lowest in aviation history, surpassing the previous mark set in 2010. The 2011 global accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jets) was 0.37, the equivalent of one accident every 2.7 million flights. This represented a 39 percent improvement compared to 2010, when the accident rate was 0.61, or one accident for every 1.6 million flights. A hull loss is an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and not subsequently repaired for whatever reason including a financial decision by the owner. A total of 2.8 billion people flew safely on 38 million flights (30 million by jet, 8 million by turboprop)."
What a wonderful piece of news to read. I know that I didn't even realize what a large number of people fly each year. It is absolutely amazing that the safety record is as good as it is. To me, this is parallel to my OB/GYN ultrasound experience. With all the hundreds of birth defects that I had to be aware of and watch for, it is amazing that as many babies came out healthy and whole as they did. Amazing!