Plane crashes and a wave of threats: Is it more dangerous to fly today?

The article examines whether flying has become more dangerous following a business jet crash in Florida and a wave of bomb threats in Europe. Aviation experts point to data showing commercial flights are in the 'safest era in history,' with a decline in accident rates despite a dramatic increase in passenger numbers. However, private jets and charter flights are exposed to higher risk due to lower regulatory oversight.

The article examines whether flying has become more dangerous following a business jet crash in Florida that killed nine people and a wave of bomb threats against dozens of flights in Europe in early November 2026. Aviation experts, including Jan-Arwed Richter of the German aviation safety bureau JACDEC, point to data showing commercial flights are in the 'safest era in history.' The number of passengers has grown from 1.7 billion at the start of the millennium to nearly five billion today, but the accident rate has dropped from 3.72 per million flights in 2005 to 1.32 in 2025. However, the article emphasizes that private jets and charter flights are exposed to higher risk due to lower regulatory oversight and pressure on pilots to meet schedules. The wave of threats in Europe, which affected at least 21 flights, is described as a deliberate disruption attempt, possibly 'hybrid warfare,' but the identity of the hostile actor has not been proven. The bottom line: the risk on commercial flights is very low and continues to decline, but the few accidents and threats remind us of the severity of possible failures.