Is it Safe?
Did you know that when you board a professionally chartered aircraft, you're choosing one of the safest methods of travel available? It might sound surprising, but statistics show you’re far safer in the sky than you are on your daily drive. In fact, you're about 190 times more likely to have a fatal accident in a car than on a professionally operated flight covering the same distance. Of course, it’s important to remember we’re talking about professional flights like ours. The story is a bit different for smaller, private planes in the "general aviation" category, which don't have the same level of oversight.
So, What's the Secret to Aviation Safety? It's not just luck—it's a system built on decades of experience and an unwavering commitment to safety.
✈ Strict Safety Rules: Professional charter services operate under strict Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. These aren't just suggestions; they are laws that cover everything from how often an engine is inspected to how much rest a pilot is required to have.
✈ Top-Notch Technology and Training: Today's aircraft are incredibly advanced and packed with safety features. More importantly, professional pilots undergo constant, rigorous training to handle any situation, ensuring their skills are always sharp.
✈ A Proven Safety Record: The proof is in the numbers. To give you an idea, in 2021 there were over 7.7 million commercial flights worldwide, with only a single fatal accident. That’s an amazing track record.
The Data
✈ Risk by the Mile: If you look at fatalities per 100 million miles traveled, the number for cars is about 0.57. For professional aviation? It’s a tiny 0.003.
✈ Key Figures (Combined Aviation Private & Commercial Accidents/Fatalities, U.S., 2024)
Category Count
Total aviation accidents 1,200 (this # includes ALL accidents, civil and commerciai aviation, even small, nofatal)
Fatal accidents 179
Total fatalities 306
✈ Your Lifetime Odds: The National Safety Council calculated the odds of dying in a car crash over a lifetime at about 1 in 107. The odds for a commercial-grade flight are closer to 1 in 11 million.
Why "Private Air Charter" Is Different from "Private Flying"
This is a really important distinction. When you book with a certified charter company, you're flying under a system of safety and oversight very similar to a major airline."General aviation," which can include recreational pilots flying smaller personal planes, doesn't operate under these same strict commercial rules. That’s why their accident rate is higher. With a professional charter, you are always flying with experienced, highly-trained pilots and meticulously maintained aircraft.
Driving
Category Count
Total Traffic Accidents 16,500,000 (this includes ALL accidents, even small, nofatal
Total fatalities 44,680
Flying may seem much more dangerous than driving, because a bad outcome is so much more dramatic, but flying acutally is very much safer than driving. Airplane crashes are catastrophic, with fatality rates being higher, captures more attention and makes people more sensitive to them. Automobile deaths and injuries happen every day, with losses occurring over time, making their collective effects much less noticeable.
Statistically, you are you are millions of times more likely to get in an auto accident than in an airplane, but have a greater chance of dying if you are involved in one.
