2024 AD: Tragic year for aviation sector with big air crashes and human casualties

CB Adhikari
Kathmandu, Jan 2: The English Year 2024 was recorded as a catastrophic time in terms of civil aviation internationally.    

The year witnessed crash of big aircrafts with several human casualties. On December 29, two days prior to the end of 2024, a plane with 181 people on board crashed in Muan, South Korea leaving 179 people dead. Two passengers were rescued alive from the debris..   

 
Earlier on December 25, an Embraer ERJ 190AR aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. A total of 38 people were killed in the accident.    

As many as 217 people were killed in two major plane crashes in the second half of the year. In 2024, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima were among the prominent people killed in a plane crash. The Iranian President died in a helicopter crash on May 20, while Malawi's Vice President Chilimi died in a military plane crash in the same month.    

On December 22, 10 members of a family were killed when a private plane crashed in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado. Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi's wife, three daughters and other relatives died in the crash.    

Likewise, the Air Canada's aircraft caught fire while trying to land on December 24. On December 22, a plane crashed in Papua New Guinea, killing all five people on board. An islander operated by north coastal aviation crashed in Papua New Guinea.    

In Argentina, the Bombardier Challenger 300 crashed near Argentina's San Fernando Airport, killing both pilots. An American plane crashed near Daniel International Airport, killing both pilots. All 62 people on board were killed when the plane crashed in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 9.    

As the New Year 2025 began, the year 2024 proved to be a tragic for airlines. A huge number of planes, including big ones, crashed this year. In December alone, six major plane crashes took place where a total of 234 people were killed.  

  
Frequent plane crashes have raised questions about safety protocols and technical problems in the aviation sector.    

The year 2024 could not remain exception for Nepal. Eighteen people were killed when a Sourya Airlines plane crashed on July 24. Similarly, five people were killed when an Air Dynasty helicopter crashed in Kathmandu's Shivapuri area on last August 7.    

The Yeti Airlines ATR-72 had crashed in 2023 killing all 72 on board. This accident is the biggest domestic flight so far.    

Captain RK Sharma, operational director of Buddha Air, said that although the year 2024 was sad in terms of air accidents worldwide, there has been some improvement in Nepal. "The year 2024 should be considered a happy year for Nepal. However, globally, the whole year is considered sad in terms of air accidents due to the continuous big crashes nearing the end of the year," he said.    

However, the solar air and air dynasty helicopter crash has once again shocked. Captain Sharma said that it is important for the airlines to pay attention to aviation safety and security as well as increase managerial capacity.   

 
In 2024, the number of air passengers worldwide was on the rise. The ever-increasing air passenger flow has created pressure to strengthen safety and security along with rise in the attraction to the sector.    

Aviation expert Achyut Pahadi also said that 2024 proved to be a tragic year in terms of aviation.    
Likewise, former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Sanjeev Gautam said that some air accidents occurred in the last month of 2024 have created doubts in the aviation sector.    

Overall, aviation has suffered badly while bidding farewell to 2024, he said. "Although it has been a good year in the context of Nepal in aviation, it has been a sad year looking at globally," Gautam said, adding that the state and the concerned bodies should pay attention how to strengthen air safety by learning from accidents.     

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aims to reduce human-related accidents to zero by 2030. Currently, air passengers are increasing by 10 percent annually. 

   
Quoting data from the International Air Transport Association, former Director General Gautam said that the number of air passengers worldwide has reached about five billion.   

 
CAAN's Information Officer Gyanendra Bhrul said that the flight safety and passenger growth are improving. The number of air passengers in Nepal is constantly increasing.   

 
According to the CAAN data, the number of domestic and international air passengers has increased by 13 percent and 7.9 percent in 2024 as compared to the previous year.   

 
A total of 8,760,302 passengers have travelled in domestic flights till November 2024. By November 2023, a total of 7.7 million air passengers had travelled. Similarly, the number of international air passengers had reached 4,449,133 by November 2024.    

So far, 959 people have died in 108 air accidents in Nepal.    
India's Kalinga Air had crashed in Simara for the first time some 70 years ago.

Two major plane crash incidents that took place in South Korea and Kazakhstan at the end of the year have disappointed the aviation sector as a whole. The incident raises the question on the safety of aviation globally. RSS