It hasn’t exactly been a banner fortnight for the airline industry. On April 17, a Southwest Airlines passenger died after being partially sucked out of a plane following a mid-flight engine explosion. On May 2, pilots for the same airline had to make an “unscheduled stop” shortly after takeoff due to a cracked window. After the first incident, Southwest cancelled dozens of flights for safety inspections. At least one survivor is suing the airline. And consumers are spooked by resurgent fears of air travel. Jennifer Riordan’s death on April 17 was a tragedy, and the Federal Aviation Administration is right to investigate mechanical issues, big and small, in the aftermath of such events. But the attention this accident and others like it received was, paradoxically, a product of the airline industry’s overall impressive safety record. While no means of transportation is perfect—the safest thing would probably be to stay in place your whole life—now is as good a time as any to catch a flight. You’ll just have to get your brain on board, too.
Read further here: Plane travel only feels like it’s dangerous | Popular Science
