…

Not even a week into 2024, it has become clear that aviation safety will be the major theme of the year.

On 2 January, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard DHC Dash-8 while landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew aboard the Coast Guard plane. The A350 skidded down the runway and burst into flames, but miraculously, all 367 passengers and 12 crew were able to evacuate with only minor injuries. It was the first major accident involving the A350 since the type entered service in 2015.

Days later, a “door plug” fell off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 departing Portland International Airport (PDX), causing an explosive decompression in the cabin as the plane climbed to 16,000 feet. Despite the traumatic experience, the plane returned safely to PDX with no passengers suffering major physical injuries.

Both incidents sparked long debates about safety in commercial aviation, which is statistically the safest form of transportation. It took a worryingly long time to evacuate the Japan airline, although the actions of the crew, the willingness of passengers to follow the rules and leave hand luggage, and the composite materials used in the construction of the plane’s hull contributed to a positive outcome.

The Boeing episode, meanwhile, sparked a renewed investigation into the long-troubled company after bolts holding door plugs in place were found to be missing. The crisis triggered by the incident led to multiple investigations, the ousting of top executives and a retooling of its safety and quality control procedures, and frustration at airlines worldwide. That led to months of public hyper-focus on airline safety, with many routine incidents and precautionary incidents making headlines and drawing news cameras (for example, “emergency landings” with plenty of caution that involved no risk to those on board).

Now, as the year draws to a close, safety is back in the spotlight following two horrific and tragic episodes, with far worse consequences than those at the start of the year.

Last week, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 jet was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia. Crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan After rReportedly hit by Russian anti-aircraft firewhich was active amid the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Another aspect of the Russian air war, the plane deviated from its flight plan due to interference with its navigation system. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died.

Then on Sunday A A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed While landing at Muen International Airport in South Korea. The video showed the Boeing 737-800 skidding off the end of the runway, without its landing gear, flaps or speed brakes extended, before plowing into a wall and bursting into flames. There were two flight attendants reported to have survived The other 179 people on board died, with serious injuries.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident. reports suggest The plane hit a bird During its initial approach, however, that by itself would not explain the disastrous crash-landing.

Both events are likely to have repercussions in the new year.

US airlines and most European carriers are avoiding Russian airspace amid the conflict, both as a result of the sanctions and in the interest of safety. This has created challenges for airlines seeking to connect the United States and Europe with Asia, and many airlines have since adjusted their networks.

However, many Asian and Middle Eastern airlines continue to fly to parts of Russia, including Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways. As the conflict develops and airlines continue to assess the risks, it is possible that flight routes will change, either temporarily or permanently, which may affect the viability of some routes.

As the Jeju Air Crash investigation continues, the results may lead to changes in certain procedures or practices within the airline, across all South Korean carriers, or globally. As commercial aviation has become safer, with backups and redundancy for almost everything, it usually takes a cascade of things going wrong to cause a fatal crash. In other words, it is likely that the investigation will turn on numerous other factors.

However, one thing is certain: all eyes are once again on aviation, and what can be done to make it safer.