Air travel is statistically one of the safest modes of transport. However, a recent series of airline accidents have rattled the industry and the public, and in recent weeks Google searches saying they are “flying safely” have skyrocketed.
The number of fatal airline accidents jumped from just one in 2023 to at least seven in 2024. Aviation safety has attracted new attention. In just a few months since 2025, multiple fatal aviation accidents have already occurred around the world. This only reinforces concerns about ongoing safety challenges.
These cases revealed how ongoing safety violations, failed infrastructure monitoring, shortcomings in pilot training, and how corporate decision-making issues can have fatal consequences.
While airline safety has actually improved over the past few decades, these recent events are a clear reminder that constant vigilance is important.
Governance failure
Aviation safety is not just about technology and pilot skills, but also about corporate decision-making, surveillance and leadership. What happens in the meeting room can affect what happens in the cockpit.
Our own research using data from 70 countries collected between 1990 and 2016 found a link between the stability of the airline's executive committee and the safety outcomes of the airline.
Our study found that airlines with weak governance, high executive turnover rates, and extended directors tend to have more accidents. In contrast, fewer airlines have stable and experienced leadership.
Many of the aviation accidents last year can be attributed to the failure of such organizations.
In Nepal, for example, the catastrophic crash of a passenger plane that killed 18 people was attributed to airlines ignoring cargo weight limits and speed guidelines.
In Brazil, a fatal crash crash of a passenger plane on its way to Sao Paulo was caused by pilots underestimating severe ice salt conditions. The pilot's behavior indicates the potential training gap.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, the Jeju Air crash that killed nearly 200 passengers in December 2024 was attributed to airlines rushing to an emergency landing under dangerous conditions. This revealed flaws in the risk assessment.
Poor governance of airlines can also pave the way for financial distress. This is another factor associated with an increased risk of accidents. In cross-country research, pilot errors and mechanical failures account for around 75% of plane accidents. It highlights how board decisions regarding training, maintenance and resource allocation directly affect safety outcomes.
When airlines face financial strain, they could delay maintenance, reduce crew training, or push harder schedules.
The 2009 Corgan Airlines collision in Buffalo and the 2013 Asiana Airlines collision in San Francisco were linked to pilot fatigue and inadequate training. Both of these issues are directly affected by the airline's policies. In fact, one study found that fatigue and scheduling pressures can significantly increase the chances of an accident if an airline fails to set and implement effective rest and training standards.
Monitoring failed
Regulators also play an important role in preventing air disasters. However, weak surveillance or regulatory liberalization can lead to poor safety.
The biggest Boeing 737 crisis that occurred between 2018 and 2019 is a typical example.
Two fatal Boeing crashes that killed a total of 346 people were traced to design flaws that regulators had not caught. Boeing was under intense pressure to compete with Airbus, and downplayed safety risks. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also relied heavily on Boeing's own safety assessment.
Last year, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 brought Boeing back to the spotlight. A blow-off of the 737-9 Max's airborne panel forced an emergency landing, with the FAA grounding up to nine fleets. Investigators discovered that several fastener bolts were missing from the aircraft's intermediate cabin door plugs, raising concerns about quality control obstacles in Boeing's production process.
(AP/National Transportation Safety Board)
Regulation failures can also extend to airport safety and air traffic control. The Haneda Airport Runway Collision in Japan in early 2024 exposed self-satisfaction through ground safety procedures. Similar issues with under-road runway safety were also a factor in the South Korean Jeju air collision.
Safer Empty Lessons
While there is no perfect system, there are many positive steps that industry leaders and regulators can take to minimize future risks.
Strengthening Board Surveillance: Airlines need to ensure that reliable aviation safety expertise exists in the best leadership role. This ensures that critical safety considerations reach the highest level of decision-making, rather than being silent within the lower management layer. Additionally, the establishment of a dedicated safety committee can promote continuous monitoring and active discussion of potential risks. Stable Leadership Prioritization: Frequent management turnover rates can lead to inconsistent safety policies. Strong leadership promotes a culture of long-term safety. Improved pilot training: Airlines should invest in advanced simulator programs and ongoing training to ensure their crews are prepared for unexpected scenarios. Target monitoring of high-risk carriers: Regulators should perform more rigorous testing on airlines that show financial distress or repeated safety violations. Promote transparency: Non-negative safety reporting systems allow pilots, engineers and ground crews to flag risk before they escalate.
Flying is extremely safe and statistically safer than driving. In the US, 885,250 people died in passenger and vehicle accidents between 2000 and 2022, compared to 12,644 aviation deaths.
But trust in air travel is built on more than just statistics. The public hopes that airlines and regulators will take proactive measures to prevent avoidable disasters. All crash investigations revealed lessons that could be more safely flew when implemented. The challenge is to ensure that these lessons lead to not only temporary revisions but also lasting reforms.
The public can also play a role in holding industry leaders accountable. They can do this by demanding transparency, supporting safety-focused policies, and questioning whether cost reductions will come at the expense of safety.
Improvements in safety do not need to occur only as a result of tragedy. It's time for the industry to make aggressive changes to improve aviation safety and prevent future tragedy.
The story was co-authored by Pedram Fardnia, Data and Analytics lead at BoxX Insurance, who received his PhD in Finance from Concordia University in 2020. His paper focuses on corporate governance in finance.
