2017 was the safest ever for commercial aviation, research from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) has shown.
The last day of December 2017 marked 398 days without a passenger jet accident and the accident rate now stands at one fatal passenger flight accident per 7,360,000 flights.
This week's chart shows how airline safety has improved over the years and excludes airplane losses due to suicide, sabotage and hijackings.
Despite the safety of commercial aviation, 2017 was not without fatalities. There were five cargo flight and five passenger flight accidents, resulting in 44 occupant fatalities and 35 people on the ground. The statistics also do not include military flights.
The number of fatalities that did occur for each of the 10 flights are shown below.
ASN president Harro Ranter said, "Since 1997 the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline, for a great deal thanks to the continuing safety-driven efforts by international aviation organisations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry."
ASN also revealed the part of the flight where accidents occurred, as shown below.
The statistics shows the sector's enviable safety record, especially when compared to rail and road. Improvements in aviation safety are often driven be the perceived danger of air travel compared to other forms of transport, albeit misplaced.