Aircraft Safety: The 2025 Report

Cleared for Landing: An Anatomy of Aircraft Safety in 2025

Recent high-profile incidents have thrust aviation safety back into the public consciousness, challenging the perception of perfectly safe aircraft. The past two years have seen a number of serious accidents, some involving aeroplanes that, until then, had spotless operational histories. This has understandably created apprehension among travellers and intense scrutiny within the aviation industry.

While flying remains one of the safest forms of transport, these events highlight the constant need for vigilance, technological improvement and stringent oversight. Understanding which aircraft have the best records, the reasons behind major accidents, and how safety has evolved provides a clearer picture of the risks involved. It also empowers passengers to be more informed about their journeys through the sky.

An Uneasy Sky: Recent Incidents Shift Perceptions

Aviation’s strong safety narrative was recently disturbed by a series of fatal crashes. Each incident involved aircraft types that had operated without a single deadly accident up to that point. These events serve as a stark reminder that even the most advanced aeroplanes are complex machines operating in a demanding environment where there is no room for error.

The incidents scrutinised not only the specific aircraft models but also the broader ecosystems of maintenance, air traffic control, and manufacturing quality. They prompted immediate investigations by international air safety bodies. The goal is always to uncover the precise causes and implement changes across the global fleet to prevent any recurrence, reinforcing the industry's reactive but effective approach to improving safety.

The End of Perfect Records

The perfect operational history of the Airbus A350, which entered service in 2013, came to an end. In January 2024, a collision occurred at Tokyo's Haneda airport involving a Japan Airlines A350. The airliner struck a smaller aeroplane belonging to the Japan Coast Guard during its landing. The collision destroyed both aircraft and tragically killed five of the six crew members on the smaller plane. Miraculously, all 379 people aboard the A350 were evacuated safely, a testament to modern cabin safety standards and crew training.

This event marked the first-ever hull-loss for the A350, an aircraft lauded for its modern design and technology. The incident underscored how airport ground operations are a critical component of overall flight safety. Investigators determined the JAL flight had received clearance to land, but the other aircraft did not have permission to be on the active runway.

The Exclusive Club: Aircraft Without Fatalities

Despite recent events, a select group of commercial aeroplanes continues to operate without any fatal accidents. Among this elite club are the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-8. The Airbus A330neo and the Airbus A220, which originated as the Bombardier C-Series, also share this distinction. The Boeing 717 and certain Embraer regional jets are also part of this group.

These aircraft benefit from decades of safety evolution, incorporating advanced materials, redundant systems, and sophisticated electronic monitoring. However, their records are also a function of their age and the number of flights completed. Newer models like the A330neo and A220 have simply had less time in service compared to older workhorses, presenting fewer opportunities for incidents to occur.

Airbus A380: The Gentle Giant's Near Miss

The world's largest passenger airliner, the Airbus A380, has maintained a fatal-accident-free record since its 2007 introduction. Its most serious incident occurred in November 2010, when Qantas Flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine failure shortly after taking off from Singapore. The event was dramatic, with debris puncturing parts of the wing.

Despite significant damage to the aircraft, the flight crew managed to return to Singapore and land the superjumbo safely, with no injuries to anyone on board. The incident was traced to a manufacturing defect in a Rolls-Royce engine. The successful outcome highlighted the A380's robust design and the crucial importance of crew skill in handling extreme emergencies.

The Modern Contenders: A330neo and 747-8

Two of the newer wide-body jets also hold perfect safety records. The Airbus A330neo, an updated version of the venerable A330, first entered commercial service in late 2018. It benefits from new, more efficient engines and aerodynamic refinements, building on a proven and reliable airframe.

Similarly, the Boeing 747-8, the latest and largest version of the iconic "Queen of the Skies," has had no fatal accidents. First taking to the skies in 2011, it serves primarily as a cargo freighter, with a smaller number of passenger versions in operation. Production of this legendary jet concluded in 2023, signalling a new chapter but leaving a legacy of safety and reliability.

Bombardier's Legacy: The Airbus A220

The Airbus A220 is another modern jet with an unblemished fatal accident history. This aircraft's story started in 2016 as the Bombardier C-Series. This smaller, single-aisle aircraft was designed from a clean sheet, allowing its creators to use the latest technology in engines, materials, and avionics. Its advanced systems provide high levels of efficiency and operational safety.

Airbus took over the programme in 2018, rebranding the jet as the A220. It has become popular with airlines for regional and medium-haul routes due to its fuel economy and passenger comfort. Its perfect safety record so far is a key selling point, demonstrating the success of its 21st-century design philosophy.

A Door to Disaster: The Alaska Airlines Incident

Another shock came to the industry in January 2024, when a door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out mid-air. The aircraft was climbing out of Portland, Oregon, when the panel detached, causing a rapid depressurisation of the cabin. Amazingly, no one was seriously injured, and the pilots successfully returned to Portland.

The incident was not a crash, but it was a severe safety failure. Investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board found that four bolts meant to secure the door plug were missing. The event triggered an immediate grounding of the 737 MAX 9 fleet and intensified scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing processes and quality control systems.

The Boeing 787's Turbulent Start

While currently holding a strong safety record overall, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced a difficult entry into service. In January 2013, a series of incidents involving its advanced lithium-ion batteries prompted aviation authorities to ground the entire global fleet. One incident involved a fire on a parked Japan Airlines 787 in Boston, while another forced an All Nippon Airways flight into an emergency landing in Japan.

Investigations revealed that thermal runaway within a single battery cell could cascade, causing overheating and fire. Boeing was forced to design a new, heavier containment system for the batteries to prevent any fire from spreading to the rest of the aircraft. The fleet returned to service after three months, but the episodes highlighted the risks associated with introducing novel technologies.

The 737 MAX: A Crisis of Trust

The Boeing 737 MAX programme was plunged into the worst crisis of its history following two devastating crashes. Lion Air Flight 610 went down in the Java Sea during October 2018. This was followed five months later by the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, shortly after its departure from Addis Ababa. A total of 346 people died in the two accidents.

Both crashes were linked to a new flight control software called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). This system, designed to make the MAX handle like its predecessors, was repeatedly pushing the aircraft's nose down based on faulty data from a single angle-of-attack sensor. The flawed design and a lack of pilot training on the new system proved to be a fatal combination.

Understanding MCAS: The Flawed System

MCAS was introduced to counteract a tendency for the 737 MAX's nose to pitch up in certain flight conditions. This characteristic was a result of the larger, more powerful engines being mounted further forward on the wing. The system was designed to automatically trim the horizontal stabiliser to push the nose down, ensuring the aircraft's handling felt familiar to pilots.

The critical flaw in its initial design was its reliance on a single sensor. On the two doomed flights, this sensor fed erroneous data to the flight computer, repeatedly triggering MCAS. The pilots fought against the system, unaware of what was causing the relentless nose-down commands, until they lost control of their aircraft. The system's existence had not been clearly communicated to pilots.

The Long Road to Recertification

The two crashes led to the worldwide grounding of the entire Boeing 737 MAX fleet. The suspension of flights began in March 2019 and lasted for 20 months, one of the longest in aviation history. During this time, Boeing worked under the intense oversight of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other global regulators to redesign the MCAS software.

The updated system now compares data from both angle-of-attack sensors and will not activate if they disagree significantly. It also includes safeguards to prevent it from activating repeatedly and ensures that pilots can always override it. Alongside the software fix, regulators mandated comprehensive new training for all 737 MAX pilots before the aircraft was permitted to fly again in late 2020.

Wider Issues: A Culture of Concern at Boeing

The crisis surrounding the 737 MAX and subsequent incidents like the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout have placed Boeing's corporate and safety culture under a microscope. Whistleblowers have come forward with serious allegations about the company's manufacturing standards and quality control processes. One engineer, Sam Salehpour, claimed that shortcuts were taken in assembling the 787 Dreamliner's fuselage.

Another whistleblower, Sam Mohawk, alleged that Boeing was losing track of non-conforming parts at its 737 factory. These claims, combined with the tragic stories of other whistleblowers who have since passed away, have painted a picture of a company struggling to balance production speed with safety fundamentals. Regulators have increased their oversight, and Boeing's leadership has vowed to rebuild its safety culture from the ground up.

The Reliable Boeing 777

The Boeing 777, a long-haul workhorse for the company, has been a central part of international aviation since its 1995 debut. With over 1,700 constructed, it has a generally strong safety record. However, its history includes a handful of high-profile incidents, most notably the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014 and the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine later that same year.

Other incidents have demonstrated the aircraft's robustness. In 2008, a British Airways 777 lost power to both engines on final approach to Heathrow but managed to glide to the runway, avoiding fatalities. In 2021, a United Airlines 777 suffered a spectacular engine failure over Denver, shedding debris, but landed safely.

The Versatile Airbus A330

A popular wide-body jet, the Airbus A330 began flying commercially in 1994. It has a solid safety record but its history includes two major fatal accidents. The most significant was the crash of Air France Flight 447 into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, which claimed 228 lives. The investigation revealed that a combination of icing on the aircraft's speed sensors and inappropriate pilot inputs led to a stall from which the crew did not recover.

The A330's history underscores the critical interplay between technology and human factors. Lessons learned from the Air France tragedy led to significant changes in pilot training worldwide, particularly in how to handle high-altitude stalls and unreliable instrument readings. It reinforced the idea that understanding how automation behaves is just as important as manual flying skills.

The Ubiquitous A320 Family

The family of Airbus A320 aircraft, which includes the A318, A319, A320, and A321, is among the most successful and frequently flown aeroplanes globally. The company has constructed over 12,000 units since the model's 1988 debut as the first commercial jet with a digital fly-by-wire control system. Statistically, it is a very safe aeroplane, with a low accident figure for every million takeoffs.

Incidents connected to the A320 series are often attributed to external factors or deliberate acts. The 2015 Germanwings crash, for instance, was a case of pilot suicide. The famous "Miracle on the Hudson" in 2009, where Captain "Sully" Sullenberger successfully ditched an A320 in the river after a double bird strike, showcased both the aircraft's durability and exceptional airmanship. The modern A320neo version has an excellent record.

A Legacy of Accidents: Soviet-Era Aviation

Statistics for aircraft constructed in the Soviet period are often harder to verify, but it is widely acknowledged that many popular models had poor safety records compared to their western counterparts. Aircraft like the Tupolev Tu-154 and the Ilyushin Il-62 were workhorses of Aeroflot and other eastern bloc airlines for decades.

These aircraft were often rugged and capable of operating from austere airfields, but their designs lacked the redundant safety systems common in western jets. Combined with less advanced navigation aids and sometimes inconsistent crew training, this led to a significantly higher accident rate. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of these older types were gradually retired from passenger service.

The Tupolev Tu-154: A Notorious History

The Tupolev Tu-154, a three-engine jet similar in appearance to the Boeing 727, became infamous for its accident record. Throughout its long service life, the model's history includes over 73 major events where the aircraft was destroyed, leading to nearly 3,000 deaths. These incidents stemmed from a wide range of causes, including mechanical failures, pilot error, poor runway conditions, and military action.

A particularly well-known tragedy was the 2010 crash in Smolensk, Russia, which killed the President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, along with dozens of other senior Polish officials. By the late 2010s, most major airlines had phased out the Tu-154 from passenger operations, though some remain in government or military use.

Russia's Modern Hope: The Troubled Superjet

In the post-Soviet era, Russia sought to re-enter the civil aviation market with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100). Developed with significant input from western suppliers, the regional jet was designed to be a rival to offerings from Embraer and Bombardier. However, its introduction since 2011 has been difficult.

A fatal crash during a demonstration flight in Indonesia in 2012 killed all 45 people on board. Another major accident occurred in 2019 when an Aeroflot Superjet caught fire after a hard landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, resulting in 41 deaths. Operators have also complained about reliability issues and difficulties in obtaining spare parts, hindering its commercial success outside of Russia.

Brazil's Success: The Embraer E-Jets

In contrast to the Superjet's struggles, the Embraer E-Jet family from Brazil has been a remarkable success story. This series of twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft, including the E170, E175, E190, and E195, has become a favourite for regional airlines around the world. Since their introduction in the early 2000s, they have established an excellent safety record.

The Embraer ERJ family, its predecessor, has one of the best records of all, with over 1,200 aircraft manufactured and zero fatal accidents in its entire operational history. Embraer's success demonstrates that world-class, safe, and reliable aircraft can be produced outside of the traditional manufacturing centres of North America and Europe.

Turboprops Today: The ATR Family

For many short-haul and island-hopping routes, the turboprop remains the most efficient aircraft. The Franco-Italian ATR 42 and ATR 72 models are the most common turboprops in service today. While they are fuel-efficient and reliable, their operational safety history is mixed. The ATR 72, in particular, has been connected to several fatal accidents.

Some of these crashes have been linked to icing conditions, for which early models were found to be vulnerable. Other incidents have been attributed to pilot error or challenging operational environments, such as flying in mountainous regions like Nepal. Modern versions like the ATR 72-600 have advanced avionics and an improved safety record.

The Concorde's Tragic Coda

The supersonic Concorde was an icon of technological achievement, but its safety record is a statistical anomaly. For decades, it flew without a single major incident. That changed on 25 July 2000, when an Air France Concorde crashed on takeoff from Paris, killing all 109 people on board and four individuals who were on land.

The investigation found that a piece of metal debris on the runway from a preceding aircraft burst one of Concorde's tyres. A large piece of rubber then struck a wing, rupturing a fuel tank and starting a catastrophic fire. Because Concorde completed relatively few flights in its lifetime (around 90,000), this single crash gives it one of the highest fatal-accidents-per-million-takeoffs rates of any commercial jet.

A Journey of Constant Improvement

Modern aviation is incredibly safe because the industry has learned from every accident. The introduction of technologies like the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) and the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) have virtually eliminated certain types of accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain and mid-air collisions.

Furthermore, advancements in crew resource management have transformed the cockpit, fostering better communication and decision-making. Regulators like the FAA and EASA enforce stringent standards for aircraft design, maintenance, and operations. This multi-layered, data-driven approach ensures that safety is not a static goal but a process of continuous improvement.

Identifying Your Aircraft Before Departure

For travellers interested in knowing which type of plane they will be flying on, several online resources are available. Websites such as SeatGuru allow passengers to enter their airline, flight number, and date of travel. The site will then display the planned aircraft type, along with a detailed seat map offering recommendations for the most and least desirable seats.

Another powerful tool is FlightRadar24. This service provides real-time flight tracking information for thousands of aircraft around the globe. By searching for a specific flight number, users can see the exact aircraft being used, including its registration number and age. This allows passengers to learn more about the specific jet scheduled for their journey.

The Future of Flight Safety

The aviation industry's commitment to safety remains its highest priority. As technology evolves, new challenges and solutions will emerge. Increased automation will continue to reduce the chance of human error but will also require new training philosophies to ensure pilots can manage highly complex systems.

Sustainable aviation fuels and potentially new propulsion systems, like hydrogen or electric power, will introduce novel safety considerations that must be rigorously tested and certified. The core principles, however, will remain: learning from the past, embracing technology, and fostering a robust safety culture that permeates every level of the industry, from the factory floor to the flight deck.