Insurance Industry Sees Commercial Airlines as Safe

With the world’s attention focused on the US Airways Airbus emergency landing in the Hudson River and the successful rescue of passengers, the insurance industry points out that the commercial airlines industry has a “remarkable safety record.”

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the number of commercial aviation accidents in 2007 on scheduled flights with 10 or more seats, stood at less than one per 100,000 flight hours, as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board at year-end 2007.

Moreover, in that same year, even though there were 24 accidents on scheduled, commercial flights, not one of them involved a fatality.

In addition, the odds of dying in an aircraft accident in 2005 were about one in 502,554, the 2009 I.I.I. Insurance Fact Book reports.

Motor vehicle crashes are by far the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States, followed, in order, by assault by firearm, motorcycle riding, exposure to smoke, fire and flames, and falling on or from stairs and steps. Air and space transport accidents placed sixth on that list.

The NTSB scheduled a press conference on the US Airways Airbus accident for 4 p.m. in Manhattan.

The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.

Source: Insurance Information Institute
www.iii.org