The number of plane crashes and the fatalities involved have been a topic of concern, especially after a plane flipped upside-down at Toronto Pearson Airport in February.
Despite these concerns, data suggests that flying remains one of the safest modes of transportation in 2025.
David Woods, a professor who studies aviation safety at Ohio State University, has spent over 40 years improving system technology in high-risk fields, including aviation, automation and accident investigations.
“Aviation got safe because we’re constantly worried. If you’re not constantly worried about safety, you can’t be safe,” said Woods.
“That’s the paradox.”
The number of accidents in the U.S has been declining. This is even with the increase in the number of flights; but reporting from the news media and discussions on social media have increased public concern.
While aviation is still one of the safest modes of transportation, media attention can make it seem otherwise.
Data released in January from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicates a record low number of airplane accidents in the United States, with 65 in total.
This is down from 80 in January 2024, and includes both private and commercial flights.
In Feb. 2025, there were 10 fatal aircraft accidents in the United States, with at least 85 people killed.
In Feb. 2024, there were 12 fatalities reported.
“Safety has never not been controversial,” said Woods.
Talking about how seatbelts were opposed, he continued that “every advance in aviation safety was fought. Enhanced safety was attempted to be undermined, was attempted to be cancelled.”
Some commentators say that social media platforms exacerbate the problem, with viral posts spreading disinformation. This can create a skewed perception and if people don’t research claims, they might believe that crashes are becoming more frequent.
A TikTok video captioned “in 2025 we must be grateful we landed”, shows a women feeling relived after a safe plane landing. With over over 14 million views and 3.2 million likes, such activity confirms people are more afraid to fly than ever.
Woods highlighted the influence of media coverage, stating, “There’s a difference between fatal accidents in North America verses overseas. If it happens here, it’s going to get a lot of coverage compared to overseas.”
Historically, similar concerns have occurred. One example is the Boeing 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019, creating the same perception that air travel was less safe than it actually was.
“From a reactive safety point of view, having twin accidents is the worst thing you can ever possibly do. You kill people once and then you go, ‘I’m not sure of this really, we really don’t have to change much.’ And then you kill them again! You realized how awful that is? The death and you did it twice,” said Woods.
However, it’s accidents like that, while tragic, lead to the commitment to continuous improvement that we should be striving for.
Flying still remains one of the safest modes of transportation and all thanks to safety standards and a focus on improvement. As Woods pointed out, “Aviation got safe because we’re constantly worried about safety. If you’re not constantly worried about safety, you can’t be safe.”
The real threat right now to aviation safety isn’t an increasing number of crashes but the risk of negligence.
Believing that safety is a finished product rather than an ongoing process. If the industry remains committed to learning from past incidents and enhancing safety protocols, air travel will continue to be safe.
“The message of the accident is aviation safety is at risk and needs to be reinvigorated and revitalized,” said Woods.
