How is Sky Road Trust and Aviation Safety Evolving

As of 2025, aviation is still considered the safest mode of transportation. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global fatal accident rate of commercial aircraft over the past decade has been only 0.15 cases per million flights. This is one in thousand of car accident rates. However, aviation safety is not simply a matter of 'number'. Behind the more than 100,000 daily flights into and out of the sky around the world, numerous innovations and human efforts are lurking.

The keyword that the aviation industry is paying attention to recently is "predictive safety management." In the past, when an accident occurred, the cause was analyzed and countermeasures were taken, but now it is moving toward predicting the possibility of an accident in advance through artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis. For example, Boeing and Airbus each introduced a system that detects potential defects early by analyzing changes in engine vibration, temperature, and pressure in real time based on millions of flight data. Through this, it optimizes the timing of maintenance and greatly reduces the possibility of leading to actual accidents.

Along with technological advances, a human-centered 'Safety Culture' is also emerging as important. Rather than simply punishing mistakes made by pilots or technicians, modern airlines are introducing a 'Just Culture' that treats them as opportunities to learn. This culture encourages all employees to report errors without fear, and the entire organization to share problems transparently. In fact, although many airlines in Europe have increased the number of reports since introducing this system, the serious accident rate has rather decreased.

Meanwhile, climate change and extreme weather phenomena are emerging as new safety challenges. Unpredictable turbulence, rapid temperature changes, and visual field limitations due to wildfire smoke are increasing the complexity of aviation operations. Accordingly, aircraft manufacturers and meteorological institutions are responding by developing advanced satellite observation and weather prediction models based on machine learning.

Aviation safety is not a complete system. No matter how advanced technology becomes, human judgment and cooperation remain at its center. The two pilots in the cockpit, the controller in the control tower, and the technician in the mechanic are all invisible links that sustain the "trust of the skyway."

Flying is still phenomenal, but constant vigilance and innovation are needed for the wonder to become a daily routine. After all, aviation safety is not a matter of technology, but a story of human responsibility and trust.