The new year has brought many unexpected and exciting changes. However, one issue that has continually arisen in 2025 have been aviation incidents. There have been four major, high profile plane crashes this year, with a total of 13 deadly crashes. While this seems like a high number, it is actually a decrease from crashes reported this time last year.
The first major U.S. commercial airline crash of 2025 happened on Jan. 29. A U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet, killing 67 people. Two days later, a medical jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people. On Feb. 6, a small plane vanished from radar and crashed, with no survivors. Another on Feb. 10, where two private jets crashed and injured four people and killed one. The most recent on Monday, Feb. 17, in which a Delta jet crashed and flipped during its landing in Toronto.
With all of these recent airline crashes, many flyers are concerned about their flight plans in the near future. “I’m flying to Texas in about a week and thinking about all of these crashes and near misses that have happened domestically have definitely made me feel less safe about traveling than in the past,” explained senior Ameya Menon. “I’ve always enjoyed flying but all these accidents leave me wondering how cautious I should be.”
Since there have been so many commercial flight issues, attention has been drawn to the issues found within the flight industry of the US. One major concern is the shortage of air traffic control employees at most air traffic control facilities. The job is important, yet there aren’t enough people being recruited.
Some explanation for this is the dangers and pressures air traffic control workers face each day on the job. This would explain a significant increase in suicide rates of air traffic control employees compared to other populations. Additionally, it takes a lot of time, training and testing to become a fully certified air traffic controller. These reasons may explain the causes for a decrease in people seeking this profession, despite its necessity.
Additionally, different firings of roles within the Federal Aviation Administration by President Donald Trump could also cause aviation issues in the future. One hundred thirty-three probationary jobs with the FAA have recently been eliminated. However, those with essential safety roles were retained as well as continued hiring of air traffic controllers.
Despite recent worries within the flight industry, flying remains a comparatively safe form of transportation and is convenient for many travelers. “Flights are preferred for long-distance travel because they are much faster and efficient,” said senior Shaha Bhugra concerning his upcoming flight plans. “Thousands of flights are safely going from place A to place B without a hitch every single day, so I know the probability of an incident on my flight is minuscule.”
According to recent data, there is only a 1 in 13.7 million chance of dying in a commercial airplane crash and there is a 1 in 95 rate of death from car crashes. This means that even though there have been numerous high profile airplane crashes lately, it is much more likely for a person to experience a fatal car crash.
“I feel equally safe going by car and going by plane: both cars and planes have their risks, but I’ve never researched which one is more dangerous. In my experience, cars have led to more incidents, but those were relatively minor compared to the damage that would be caused by a single issue on a flight,” described Bhugra.
Even with all of the tragic stories of aviation incidents, air travel is still one of the safest methods of transportation. Trusting in pilots and air traffic control is the best way to enjoy a safe flight.
