The insurance industry has discovered an enigma in commercial aviation: the rate of aircraft hull losses and fatalities is at historic lows, yet the financial consequences of non-catastrophic operational incidents have surged to unsustainable levels. A recent study suggests that these operational incidents—including tailstrikes, hard landings, runway excursions, flap overspeed events, and ground collisions—are largely preventable through better, more effective pilot training.
In 2023, the fatal accident rate for IATA member airlines was a low 0.03 per 1 million flights, while the escalating costs of survivable incidents have detached from historic norms due to the increasing complexity of composite airframes, a challenged global supply chain, and a tighter insurance market.
Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.
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