Air crashes in Türkiye hit 9-year high: Report

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has reported the highest number of aircraft accidents in the past nine years in 2024, with 19 incidents resulting in 16 fatalities, Turkish media said on Feb. 21, citing official data.

Globally, 2024 emerged as a year marked by an upsurge in aviation accidents, heightening concerns over air safety. Some of the most significant aviation mishaps of the year occurred in South Korea, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Iran, Canada and Japan, culminating in a total death toll of 282.

Türkiye, too, experienced a discernible rise in aviation incidents, according to the country’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry’s search coordination center.

On Dec. 9, 2024, in Isparta, two military helicopters engaged in a training flight collided mid-air due to rotor blade contact, leading to the crash of one aircraft and the deaths of six military personnel, including a brigadier general.

In another incident, a fire broke out aboard an aircraft upon landing at Antalya Airport on Nov. 24, 2024, necessitating the emergency evacuation of 95 passengers in the southern province.

Last September witnessed another crash in the northwestern province of Bursa as a training aircraft operated by a private company plummeted, killing two pilots.

The country recorded 87 aviation accidents between 2016 and 2024, resulting in 86 deaths, the Demirören News Agency said, citing the ministry. 

Over these nine years, a total of 745 individuals were rescued from various aviation mishaps, including crashes, runway excursions and onboard fires, while 39 people sustained injuries.

The report pointed out that 2024 stands out as the year with the highest number of aviation accidents within this period, with 19 incidents leading to 478 rescues, 16 deaths and one injury.

The most recent major aviation disaster worldwide occurred on Feb. 17, when a Delta Air Lines aircraft departing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, suffered a catastrophic landing at Toronto’s primary airport, forcefully impacting the runway before overturning.

All 80 passengers survived, though Delta reported that 21 individuals sustained injuries in the harrowing ordeal.