What Airplane Passengers Should Know About Flight Safety Amid Crashes

A deadly midair collision involving a commercial airplane and an army helicopter. Multiple crashes in various countries. Planes catching on fire and even flipping upside down.

Over the last two months, global commercial air travel has been rocked by more than a half dozen unusual accidents that have raised concerns about the state of aviation safety. And in the United States, this comes amid an alarming number of near-misses and continued concerns about adequate air traffic control staffing.

With each incident, video footage circulates near instantaneously and widely online, traumatizing more travelers, who say that the recent spate of airplane incidents has amplified their flight anxieties. Jaimee Rindy, a 28-year-old who lives in Atlanta, said she developed a fear of flying a few years ago. This feeling has grown more intense in recent months, she said.

“It’s difficult to feel safe when you’re completely out of control and when you really have no sense of what’s happening while you’re in the aircraft,” Ms. Rindy said. “Ultimately, that’s the scariest part of being a passenger. It’s that loss of trust in the industry.”

Is flying getting more dangerous? And what, if anything, can passengers actually do to stay safer during an emergency? We consulted several experts to learn more.

The recent incidents, which are still being investigated, span different countries and types of airplanes.

Over the last two months, deadly crashes have occurred in South Korea, the United States, and Azerbaijan. In the United States, some incidents involved commercial airplanes, while others were on smaller private planes subject to less stringent safety requirements. Of all aircraft, large commercial airplanes are required to meet the strictest safety regulations.