In 2016, airline fatalities in Europe dropped to a record low, according to a review by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The 2017 Annual Safety Review examined 11 aviation groups.
EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said continued safety improvements contributed to the drop.
“During the past year, EASA has advanced and developed key strategic activities across a diverse range of new and emerging issues,” he said.
There were two commercial deaths, both occurring Jan. 8. Between 2006 and 2016, the annual average was 66 fatalities.
One fatal helicopter accident occurred in 2016, killing 13 people. The 10-year average for helicopter fatalities is three. The non-commercial airplane group had 78 deaths. The 10-year average is 94.4.
The specialized-operations airplane group had 12 fatalities last year.
Globally, there were 18 fatal airline crashes with a total of 324 deaths last year, according to the Airline Safety Network. This is an increase from 14 accidents and 186 deaths in 2015.
The accident rate for 2016 was one fatal passenger flight per 3.2 million flights, a rate which has been declining steady since 1997.
In the United States, opponents to the Trump Administration’s proposal to separate air traffic control from the Federal Aviation Administration cite that commercial aviation fatalities are at a record low.