Overview

• Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed shortly after takeoff June 12, marking the first fatal incident involving that model among its 242 passengers.
• Fifty-five fatal aviation crashes in the U.S. so far this year have resulted in 176 deaths, according to National Transportation Safety Board data.
• Social media coverage of near-misses and incidents has heightened public fear of flying, driving an April decline in ticket sales.
• A persistent shortage of air traffic controllers and pilot error—which now surpasses mechanical failures as a leading cause—have come under renewed scrutiny.
• Despite recent high-profile events, aviation remains one of the safest transport modes, with long-term accident rates continuing to fall.