Despite everything you hear, flying is still safer than you think

Despite a rise in aircraft accidents, air travel remains among the safest way to travel. The global accident rate improved slightly to 1.87 per million departures compared to the 2.05 in 2024.

Airplane crashes receive intense media coverage due to their dramatic nature and high fatality potential. This has created a perception that flying is more dangerous than it is.
Statistically, the odds of dying in a plane crash are still about 1 in 11 million-far lower than in a car accident, which is roughly 1 in 101.

Here are some things I would like you to keep in mind next time you travel.

Planes Are Built for Emergencies
Aircraft are designed with multiple layers of backup systems. Even if one engine fails, planes can fly safely on the remaining one. Advanced navigation and autopilot systems assist pilots in making precise adjustments, ensuring stability even in extreme weather

Pilots Are Trained for Anything
Commercial pilots have to undergo thousands of hours of training and recurrent safety drills. They regularly practice handling engine failures, extreme turbulence, and emergency landings in high-tech simulators-often under more challenging conditions than they'd ever face in real life. In fact, most emergency landings are precautionary rather than life-threatening conditions. Many aircraft can even land themselves in an emergency using automated landing technology

Turbulence Feels Much Worse Than It Is
Turbulence might feel unsettling and can make people extremely nervous, but it is rarely dangerous. Modern aircraft are built to withstand forces stronger than any turbulence can create. Pilots are trained to navigate through or around rough air, and airlines continuously receive real-time weather updates to adjust flight paths when necessary. The best precaution for passengers? 

Keep seatbelts fastened throughout the flight.

Flying Is Safer Than Ever
While incidents fluctuate yearly long-term trends show ongoing safety improvements. Stricter regulations, better pilot training. and advanced technology continue to reduce risks.

Modern aircraft are built to land safely in rainy / stormy conditions, using multiple systems to ensure control and stability. Some people have mistaken the spray behind a landing aircraft for smoke, but it's just water. As the aircraft rolls at high speed over the wet surface, they displace massive amounts of water, creating a misty effect. Combine that with the force of reverse thrust, and you get the dramatic spray.

Advanced Braking Systems: 

Aircraft use anti-skid braking (similar to ABS in cars) to prevent hydroplaning and ensure effective
deceleration.

Reverse Thrust: 

After touchdown, the engines redirect air forward to help slow the aircraft down more efficiently.

Spoilers: 

Those large panels on the wings pop up immediately after landing to disrupt lift and transfer the aircraft's weight onto the wheels, improving braking performance.

So, I really hope this will ease your mind if you are a nervous flyer.