Aircraft Accidents fell in 2020 but deaths rose

Ukraine International Airlines B737 (Image: LLBG Spotter/CC BY-SA 2.0)
Ukraine International Airlines B737 (Image: LLBG Spotter/CC BY-SA 2.0)

According to a report by Aviation Consultants To70, commercial aviation accidents in 2020 fell from 86 in 2019 to just 40 but the number of fatalities rose from 257 to 299.

The increase in fatalities comes despite a significant decrease in air global air travel due to the Coronavirus Pandemic with the skies seeing less than half of the normal annual traffic.

One reason for the rise is the number includes two accidents where large loss of life occured.

In January 176 people died when Iran shot down a Ukrainian Boeing 737 as it was taking off from Tehran International Airport (IKA/OIIE) whilst in May 98 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed after a failed go-around attempt in Karachi.

Of the 40 commercial aviation accidents in 2020, only five were fatal.

2020’s 5 Fatal Aviation Accidents

Date (2020)TypeOperatorState of RegistrationState Accident OccurredFatalities
8th JanBoeing 737-800Ukraine Intl. AirlinesUkraineIran176
5th FebBoeing 737-800Pegasus AirlinesTurkeyTurkey3
7th MayBoeing 737-700Southwest AirlinesUSAUSA1
22nd MayAirbus A320-200Pakistan Intl. AirlinesPakistanPakistan98
7th AugBoeing 737-800Air India ExpressIndiaIndia21

Read the full report here https://to70.com/a-different-operational-scenario-some-of-the-same-old-problems-2020-in-review/

About Nick Harding 2035 Articles
Nick is the senior reporter and editor at UK Aviation News as well as working freelance elsewhere. He has his finger firmly on the pulse on Aviation, not only in the UK but worldwide. Nick has been asked to speak in a professional capacity on LBC, Heart and other broadcast networks.