With 2024 less than a week away, it’s clear that aviation safety will be a theme this year.

On January 2, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 crashed into a Japan Coast Guard DHC Dash-8 while landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew members on board the Coast Guard aircraft. The A350 overran the runway and burst into flames, but miraculously, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members were able to evacuate, with only a few minor injuries reported. This is the first major accident involving the A350 since it was put into service in 2015.

Days later, a “door jam” detached on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 taking off from Portland International Airport (PDX), causing an explosive decompression in the cabin as the plane climbed 16,000 feet. Despite the traumatic experience, the aircraft returned safely to PDX and no passengers suffered major physical injuries.

The two incidents sparked a lengthy discussion about commercial aviation safety, which statistics show is the safest form of transportation. While the actions of the crew, the willingness of passengers to follow the rules and leave carry-on luggage, and the composite materials used to build the plane’s fuselage all contributed to the positive outcome, although the Japanese airline’s evacuation took an alarmingly long time.

Meanwhile, the incident at Boeing sparked renewed scrutiny of the long-troubled company after bolts holding the door jams were found to be missing. The incident triggered a crisis that prompted multiple investigations, the ouster of top executives, a reorganization of safety and quality control processes and discontent among airlines around the world. This also resulted in months of heightened public concern about aviation safety, with many routine and preventive incidents making headlines and attracting news cameras (e.g., “emergency landings” performed out of an abundance of caution, with no consequences for passengers) Danger) on board).

Now, as the year comes to a close, safety is once again in the spotlight after two horrific and tragic events that ended in a much worse situation than at the beginning of the year.

Last week, an Azerbaijani Airlines Embraer E190 jet flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, reportedly coming under Russian anti-aircraft fire, which is involved in a conflict between the country and Ukraine. active in the ongoing war. The plane deviated from its flight plan due to interference with its navigation system, another aspect of Russia’s air war. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died.

Then on Sunday, a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed while landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea. Video shows the Boeing 737-800 sliding across the end of the runway with no landing gear, flaps or speed brakes extended before hitting a wall and bursting into flames. According to reports, two flight attendants survived with serious injuries, while all 179 other people on board died.

The cause of the accident is currently unclear. There were reports that the plane struck a bird during its initial approach, although this in itself does not explain the catastrophic crash landing.

Both incidents could have repercussions in the new year.

U.S. airlines and most European airlines have avoided Russian airspace during the conflict, both due to sanctions and security concerns. This has created challenges for airlines seeking to connect the United States and Europe to Asia, and many have since restructured their networks.

Still, many Asian and Middle Eastern airlines continue to fly over parts of Russia, including Etihad Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways. As the conflict continues to evolve and airlines continue to assess risks, routes may be temporarily or permanently changed, which may impact the viability of some routes.

As the investigation into the Jeju Air crash continues, the findings could lead to changes in certain procedures or practices within the airline, across all Korean airlines or globally. As commercial aviation becomes increasingly safer, with backups and redundancies for almost everything, it often takes a series of problems to cause a fatal crash. In other words, the investigation is likely to uncover many other factors.

However, one thing is for sure: all eyes are once again turning to aviation and how to make it safer.