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How Boston.com readers feel about flying right now
"Statistically speaking, and even in light of recent mishaps, air travel is safer than ground travel," wrote Anne O. from Fairhaven.
When we asked readers if they feel safe flying in light of recent airline industry mishaps, the majority of them said yes.
Do you feel safe flying right now?
Yes, absolutely.
45%
No way.
32%
It depends.
19%
Other
3%
The FAA reported 2,456 unruly passengers in 2022, and earlier this month a Leominster man on a United Airlines flight to Boston was arrested after he tried to open an emergency exit and attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck.
What’s more, a Maryland woman died after her plane recently experienced severe turbulence over Connecticut and a United Airlines plane clipped another plane on the Logan Airport tarmac a week after a JetBlue plane nearly collided with a Learjet.
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In response to the previously mentioned incidents and more, the FAA hosted a safety summit last week with more than 200 safety leaders in the aviation industry.
“I think I speak for all of us, and certainly the traveling public, when I say these events are concerning,” said FAA Administrator Billy Nolen in his opening remarks at the summit. “They are not what we have come to expect during a time of unprecedented safety in the U.S. air transportation system.”
The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) recently released annual safety report said there were 5 fatal accidents worldwide involving the loss of life to passengers and crew on commercial airlines in 2022, down from 7 the year before.
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Ahead, readers explain how they currently feel about air travel.
Yes, I absolutely feel safe
“Statistically speaking, and even in light of recent mishaps, air travel is safer than ground travel.” — Anne O. from Fairhaven
“Statistically it’s way safer than driving. This isn’t even a discussion.” — Brian from Beverly
“It seems safer than taking the T or dealing with the idiots on the roads. — Anonymous reader
“[T]he number of ‘good’ people on a flight will always far outnumber the bad. That said I always do [a] scan…when I board. Lol.” — Anonymous reader
“After 9/11, passengers will fight back immediately.” — Jim from Acton
“Safer than driving.” — Julie from Lincoln
No way, I don’t feel safe
“Older planes, overworked staff.” — Anonymous reader
“People are more selfish than ever, entitled [people] that think they can do anything and there aren’t any cops, government agencies or the airplanes doing ANYTHING to protect passengers.” — Kit from Boston
It depends
“With regulations being different, often stricter, for international flights I feel much safer going abroad and traveling from place to place abroad than I do in the U.S. While I am a mental health care worker, trained in de-escalation and safe restraints, I additionally don’t trust that a restraint on a plane in the U.S. would yield safe results for the person in crisis — especially considering how police restrain on the ground.” — Sam from Boston
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Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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