London-based aerospace consultancy and equipment appraiser Ascend characterized 2010 as “a disappointing year” in terms of airline safety, as both the number of fatal accidents and total fatalities increased over previous years. According to Ascend’s data, the number of fatal accidents increased 22 percent, from 23 in 2009 to 28 last year. The incidence of fatal accident for 2010 also slightly exceeded the annual average for the last decade (27.2), but still finished better than the 1990s’ average of 37.6.
In terms of fatal accident rates, Ascend characterized 2010 as “poor,” particularly compared with 2009–the safest year on record. The fatal accident rate increased from one in 1.5 million flights in 2009 to one in 1.3 million last year. However, 2010 still compared favorably with earlier years as, apart from 2009, only 2007 and 2006 produced better accident rates.
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