Doha: As 2024 draws to a close, a series of aviation incidents has rattled holiday travelers, yet aviation experts quote numbers to reassure that air travel continues to be the safest form of transportation available and further emphasize on listening to the authorities who hold passengers’ safety at high regards.

The final week of 2024 witnessed a series of tragic aviation incidents, from The Azerbaijani passenger plane that was shot down on December 25 by a Russian air defense system, to the terrible Jeju Air crash on December 28 in South Korea, claiming the lives of 179 passengers. 

Some other incidents reported during the week included a Canadian airliner suffered an engine failure due to a bird strike on December 29, and a runway deviation incident at Oslo airport involving a Royal Dutch Airlines flight, both reporting zero casualties. 

Despite these horrifying incidents, “Air travel remains the world’s safest mode of transport,” emphasizes renowned aviation analyst Alex Macheras in interview with the BBC. 

He further added that “air travel safety is no joke and it is treated with utmost seriousness.”

Despite these tragic events clustering within a week, aviation safety statistics remain compelling. 

Commercial aviation’s safety record continues to improve, backed by decades of technological advancement, enhanced pilot training, and stringent emergency protocols.

For anxious travelers, aviation safety experts remind travelers of several aviation facts and guidelines:

• Remember that statistically, you’re safer flying than driving or even walking. The chance of being involved in an aircraft accident is approximately one in 11 million. 

Regarding the South Korean incident, Macheras noted in an interview with LBC that like any other major aviation incident, “it takes a long chain of various contributing events for a flight to end up badly” further emphasizing that “it’s not easy and doesn’t happen as often as you think.” 

• Trust in the expertise of flight crews, whose lives also depend on safe operations. 

“Aircraft divert from their norms all the time and it is being accounted for continuously,” Alex added in his interview with the BBC.

“The safety of the flight is of utmost priority for the pilots and crew members and they have more experience and know how to handle various emergencies.” 

• Understand that flight delays often prioritize passenger safety, either due to bad weather or maintenance checks, there are many variables that travelers are not familiar with and have to rely on the authorities to take care of. 
  
   
• Remember that normal flight sounds and turbulence are part of routine operations. Modern Aircrafts are very complex and have many moving objects that can make all sorts of noise. Trust in the pilots and crew to know what those noises are and rest assured that whenever something out of the ordinary occurs, they will have your safety and theirs to their upmost priority. 

“Airplane travel is very safe but it remains very important to listen to the authorities and know what to do in case of emergencies, which do happen sometimes. As is the case with any moving objects,” Macheras concludes.

Meanwhile experts also advised to stay hydrated and well-rested before flights as research has proven that under dehydration and stress, it is easy to panic and succumb to irrational fears.