I guess that’s just a bit of information that is not really of much to use the average traveler today. Yeah, last year could very well be one of the safest years of traveling – we’re very much alive despite going on several trips last year, right?

Now, enough sarcasm. The data may seem trivial to me (and maybe some of you) but I am sure someone will make good use of it. According to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, in the year 2009, there was only 1 accident for every 1.4 million flights. That’s an impressive figure, isn’t it? However, the numbers only take into account Western-built jets. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever flown in a non-Western jet. Have you?

Here are more details from Reuters:

IATA said the 2009 rate was a 36 percent improvement on 2000 levels.

“Having made aviation the safest way to travel, further improvements will come only with careful data analysis,” said IATA Director-General Giovanni Bisignani.

“We must understand the underlying safety risk trends, not just from the handful of accidents each year, but by bringing together and analyzing data from millions of safe flights.”

Here is something else that you might find useful – which parts of the world had the worst accident rates? The IATA pinpoints Africa and the Middle East. The safest, on the other hand, are North Asia, Latin America, and the Commonwealth of Independent States – they had no losses last year.

I wonder what 2010 will bring. I guess we’ll get the figures in 2011.