How safe is air travel? Over 21 million flights took off last year, with one fatal accident

Air travel safety has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few decades. — TOBIAS REHBEIN/Pixabay

How safe is air travel? Last year, when large commercial jets took off 21.6 million times throughout the world, there was just one fatal accident.

Boeing’s comprehensive annual compilation of data about air accidents involving large Western-built jet airliners, released at the end of August, shows a decades-long trend toward safer air travel.