2008 Annual Safety Review reveals mixed results

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published its AnnualSafety Review for the year 2008. The number of fatal accidents involvingaircraft registered in Member States of EASA * and performing commercialair transport operations remained at thelevel of 2007 (three). This number is one of the lowest in the decade and wellbelow the average of six fatal accidents per year.

In 2008, 5.5 per cent of all fatalaccidents in commercial air transport worldwide occurred with airplanesregistered in an EASA Member State.This low number of accidents was overshadowed by the tragic accident of a McDonnellDouglas MD-82 aircraft in Spain involving154 fatalities. The number of onboard fatalities for 2008 (160 fatalities),which was above the average of the decade (105 fatalities), was mainly due tothis one accident.

Regarding aircraftregistered in the rest of the world, the number of fatal accidents in the sametype of operation decreased from 53 in the year 2007 to 51 accidents in 2008.The number is within the decade’s average (53 accidents). The report alsoincludes data on commercial helicopter operations and aircraft involved inGeneral Aviation and aerialwork.

Maintaining and improving aviation safety in Europeand worldwide continues to be the Agency’s main priority. The Annual Safety Review also offers an overview of aviationsafety measures taken by the Agency, including the progress of the EuropeanStrategic Safety Initiative (ESSI).

The Annual SafetyReview is compiled by EASA to inform the public of safety levels in civilaviation and is available on the Agency’s website.

Please note that this Annual SafetyReview covers the period up to the end of 2008. Accidents occurring in 2009 arenot part of this report but will be included in the next one which will bepublished in the first half of 2010.

* 27 Member States of theEuropean Union, as well as Iceland,Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.