Commercial airline services in the United States began in 1914, though travel by air remained a relatively rare and exclusive activity until the creation of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airliners in 1958. Modern air travel is very safe. Major airlines recorded zero onboard fatalities in 2021, with a fatal accident rate of 0.0 per 100,000 flight hours. However, several global air travel routes pose significantly higher risks to passenger safety than local routes.
Generally speaking, the longer the flight route, the riskier it is. Tropical storms can make air travel along the equator more dangerous than other flights. Latin America has a 3.36 accident rate.
Roughly 800 people attempt to climb Mount Everest every year. Unfortunately, flights to and from Nepal represent some of the most dangerous flight paths in the world. As air moves through mountainous regions, it moves forcefully upward, which can be problematic for pilots. Such air currents are especially prevalent around Lukla Airport, the airport closest to Everest.
Many global flight routes are dangerous because of the equipment involved. The airline industry in Indonesia, for example, has struggled to keep up with international safety standards. The European Union (EU) has banned all but four of the nation’s 63 commercial airlines from entering EU airspace, and the FAA has placed the country on a watch list due to insufficient safety policies.
Regions that were once part of the Soviet Union, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, face the dual challenges of antiquated technology and hazardous weather conditions. The United Nations has raised concerns about the safety records of specific flight routes departing from Georgia, while the EU has banned flights originating from Kazakhstan.
Other flight routes are dangerous because they travel through contested airspace. Several parts of Africa have poor flight path safety records, with accident rates of up to 12.45 incidents per 1 million flights, which is more than double the rate of other risky flight paths around the world. The global average is 2.48 accidents per 1 million flights.
Americans in Europe or Africa may find it difficult to travel between the two continents. Several EU members have started challenging the safety records of nations such as Sierra Leone, Congo, and Angola, emphasizing lax safety protocols. Not all African nations have come under scrutiny. Egypt and South Africa, for instance, maintain healthy air travel relationships with the EU.
It is not uncommon for flight paths to vary in security from one location to the next in the same region. Emirates and Qatar Airways offer reliable air travel services in the Middle East and North Africa. However, a five-year study revealed an accident rate of 5.43, more than double the global average.
In some cases, US officials will warn or prevent citizens from taking a dangerous flight route. The Department of State has issued a travel warning for flights to and from Syria, a motion that has been followed by governments in Canada and Britain.
The Bermuda Triangle is a region of the Caribbean Sea and Southern Atlantic Ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The area is a source of numerous myths and urban legends, but scientists have disproved the idea that the Bermuda Triangle is an exceptionally dangerous place to fly. That said, the area is associated with inclement weather and can present pilots flying to and from Miami with challenging conditions, especially during hurricane season from June through November.
