2016 was one of the safest years for flying in decades

2016 was one of the safest years in aviation history, the Aviation Safety Network has reported, with a low total of 19 fatal airliner crashes and 325 fatalities.

As the below chart by Statista shows, this ranks it among the safest years for flying in decades:

ASN President Harro Ranter said this should come as no great surprise:

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.

The worst accident occurred on November 28 last year when a LaMia Bolivia Avro RJ85 crashed in Colombia, killing 71. The cause of the crash was found to be fuel exhaustion.

It was also perhaps the most famous crash last year, as the jet was carrying the Chapecoense football team, who were posthumously awarded the Copa Sudamericana following the death of 19 of their players.

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