ICAO announced on 17th January that preliminary data confirmed that 2013 was the safest year ever recorded in terms of fatalities for scheduled international air transport operations.

Although the number of fatal accidents involving scheduled commercial operations remained steady at nine during 2013, fatalities themselves were down a significant 53.5% from 2012, dropping to only 173 compared to 372 the previous year. Using 2010 as a baseline, fatalities have fallen by a huge 76% and 2013 represents the third consecutive year in which air transport fatalities have continued to decrease.