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Incidents and accidents: AeroTime’s commercial airline safety roundup of 2024  

Luke Peters
Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9

Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock

As 2024 draws to a close, there can be little doubt that, over the course of the year, airline safety has continued to reach new levels, with fewer accidents, fewer aircraft being written off, and fewer fatalities. But while air travel remains one of the safest forms of transport, there have still been mishaps, incidents, and accidents involving public transport flights throughout 2024.  

Any process or system in which human intervention is paired with highly sophisticated technological and mechanical innovation will invariably lead to safety-related issues from time to time. Regardless of the level of that innovation or the quality of training undertaken by flight crews, no such system will be infallible and on occasion, things will still go wrong.  

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) differentiates an accident from an incident by imposing a threshold of aircraft damage set at $1 million. This definition has been in place since 2005. Despite the industry’s growth and the potential for more accidents to meet these criteria, the application of new and updated safety measures, plus advancing technology, has still resulted in a notable decrease in aircraft being damaged, both on the ground and in flight. 

However, despite this positive trend, it’s crucial to emphasize that the aviation industry remains vigilant. Any accident, regardless of its severity or frequency, highlights the critical importance of maintaining a proactive approach to safety, identifying and addressing potential safety issues and emerging trends, as well as implementing safety measures to reduce the likelihood of an accident. 

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Despite the number of aviation-related incidents and accidents having continued on a downward trajectory in 2024, though, there have been several events that have been extensively reported in the media. While the official investigations into such events take months, if not years to conclude and publish their findings, the minutiae of the events themselves are quickly forgotten within the mindset of the traveling public in their insatiable desire to get from A to B as quickly as possible.      

In this round-up of airline safety in 2024, Aerotime looks back over the year’s commercial aviation incidents and accidents. This list is not exhaustive, however. The contents of this article have been limited to commercial aircraft performing public transport flights, whether carrying cargo or passengers (or both). Air taxi operations, executive jets, helicopters, and general aviation activities have been excluded in the interests of concision. Additionally, only those events where aircraft have been reported as either substantially damaged or written off, or there has been a fatality onboard a public transport flight due to inflight turbulence, have been included.  

Note: All data included in this article was sourced from Aviation Safety Network, ch-aviation, and Flightradar24 unless otherwise stated, and was current as of December 29, 2024.      

Roundup of 2024 

In 2023, there were a total of 30 commercial airline accidents worldwide, and one accident that resulted in 72 fatalities. Numbers for 2024 are likely to be similar, given what we already know as we approach the end of the year.  

In 2022 there were 127 accidents and 358 civil aviation deaths; in 2021, 113 incidents and 414 deaths; and in 2020 there were 90 incidents and 463 deaths. In comparison, then, the overall improvement in safety becomes apparent. Indeed, standing as a significant achievement, 2023 saw no fatal accidents or hull losses for jet aircraft, leading to a record-low fatality risk rate of 0.03 rate per million sectors. 

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In 2024, there have been just a small handful of commercial aviation events that have resulted in fatalities. However, right from the start of the year, this figure would have been significantly higher but for pilot professionalism, improved aircraft technology, and, of course, a dose of good fortune. The much-discussed Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines events in January 2024 could have resulted in far more injuries or fatalities than they did. Consequently, vital lessons will be learned from these two events so that similar accidents don’t go on to happen in the future.  

All that being said, though, there have been many other occasions in 2024 when either human error, technical or mechanical failure, or a combination of the two, have resulted in damage being caused to an aircraft, or even injury to those onboard at the time. But as we progress through our month-by-month analysis below, it is always worth remembering that any event, whether it is classified as an accident or incident, is always the result of a combination of factors that lead to the outcome, and never one issue in isolation.    

January  

The year started badly for the commercial airline industry, with two headline-grabbing incidents occurring in quick succession. There were a small number of fatalities in one of the incidents, though that figure could very easily have run into the hundreds.  

On January 2, 2024, a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350-900 operating a flight from Sapporo to Tokyo collided with a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-300 on the runway at Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND). The DHC-8, which had been tasked to transport supplies to Niigata in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurring the previous day, had entered the runway at Haneda Airport as the JAL A350 was on final approach. 

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After touching down, the A350 struck the DHC-8. The nose section of the A350 suffered severe impact damage and the aircraft slid over the runway for about 1700 meters, until it veered to the right and came to a stop next to the runway edge where it caught fire. By this point, the DHC-8 was already alight from the initial impact.   

Thankfully all occupants of the A350 evacuated safely via the emergency slides positioned at three doors, though 15 passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation. The captain of the DHC-8 Japan Coast Guard aircraft survived the accident with severe burn injuries. However, the remaining crew of five were killed. 

Steven Byles Wikimedia Commons

Once the wreckage of the A350 had been analyzed by the investigators, JAL announced that the hull would be retained in a special museum run by the airline in Tokyo promoting aviation safety.  

Three days later, on January 5, 2024, just as media focus began to shift away from the collision in Tokyo, another event took place that would capture the world’s attention. At around 17:00 local time, an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland (Oregon) to Ontario (California), operated by a three-week-old Boeing 737 MAX 9, returned to Portland International Airport (PDX), after the left mid-exit door (MED) plug departed the airplane, leading to a rapid decompression.  

NTSB

The airplane landed safely back at Portland without further incident, and all occupants (two pilots, four cabin crewmembers, and 171 passengers) deplaned at the gate. Seven passengers and one flight attendant had suffered minor injuries. US aviation authorities, so shocked at the nature of the incident, grounded all US-registered Boeing 737 MAX 9s with the same type of exits, and other regulators around the world were swift to follow suit.  

Investigators soon discovered that bolts designed to hold the door in place within the fuselage structure had not been inserted correctly at the manufacturing stage. As a result, all aircraft of the same type had to be inspected before they could resume flying.  

While the damage caused to the standing of Alaska Airlines was limited by the findings, the repercussions for Boeing (and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems) stretched far further, leading to a multitude of issues for the US planemaker, its reputation, share price, and production rates, that continue to affect the company at the time of writing.  

NTSB

In an event largely overlooked by the media (not least because it occurred on January 5, 2024, the same day as the Alaska Airlines incident), a Flybondi Boeing 737-800 suffered a tailstrike during landing at Mar del Plata International Airport in Argentina. The aircraft managed to taxi to the apron as normal, although it had sustained substantial damage to its rear fuselage because of the tailstrike. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and returned to service.    

In what was fast becoming a bad month for Boeing 737s, on January 10, 2024, a United Airlines Boeing 737-900ER also suffered a tailstrike while landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston after a flight from Phoenix. Post-accident assessment of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the auxiliary power unit (APU) firewall bulkhead, resulting from the aircraft’s aft fuselage’s contact with the runway surface. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and returned to service.    

On January 18, 2024, a Jetways Kenya Fokker 50 turboprop transporting humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) crashed on landing at Ceelbarde Airstrip in Somalia after a domestic flight. The Fokker 50 went off the runway and subsequently collided with a house. There were four crew members on board. A pilot was killed, one person was seriously injured and two more suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was severely damaged and has not been repaired.  

Also in Africa, on the same date, an Ethiopian Airlines De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400 operating a domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Mekele Airport (MQX) experienced a runway excursion and gear collapse after landing at Mekele. The aircraft suffered substantial damage and has not flown since, although there were no reported injuries.   

In what was proving to be a month of tailstrikes, Air France flight AF356, an Airbus A350-941, experienced one on January 21, 2024, during a go-around following an attempted landing at Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The aircraft went around and landed normally 14 minutes later, although it had suffered extensive damage to its rear fuselage. No one was injured and the aircraft was subsequently repaired.  

February  

On February 8, 2024, two JetBlue Airbus A321s were involved in a ground contact incident at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) while taxiing within the airport’s dedicated de-icing pad area. The left winglet of one of the aircraft collided with the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator of the other. There were no injuries to the 210 passengers and crew on the first aircraft, nor the 154 passengers and crew on the other, and both aircraft were subsequently repaired.  

Two separate incidents occurred on the following day, February 9, 2024. A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operated by African Express Airways sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at Malakal Airport (MAK) in South Sudan. Preliminary information indicated that the airplane had landed short of the runway at Malakal. The main gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on its belly. There were no injuries. The aircraft’s damaged hull remained at Malakal, where it was later struck by a Boeing 727-200 that crashed while landing at the same airport (see March below). 

On the same day, a European Air Transport Airbus A300 freighter operating for DHL suffered a tailstrike during an attempted landing at Leipzig Airport (LEJ) in Germany. The flight crew performed a go-around and proceeded for a landing on runway 26R 18 minutes later. The aircraft was not repaired following the incident.   

On February 12, 2024, a Britten Norman BN2 Islander operated by ESAV Airlines crashed into the sea about one mile off Punta Carola beach on the Galapagos Islands. All nine occupants were rescued safely. The aircraft had just departed runway 16 at San Cristobal Airport, Galapagos (SCY) at the time of the accident. The aircraft sank following the crash and was not recovered. 

March  

On March 5, 2024, a Safarilink Aviation De Havilland DHC-8-300 suffered a mid-air collision with a local flying club-owned Cessna 172M Skyhawk which was attempting to land at Wilson Airport (WIL) in Nairobi, Kenya. The Cessna crashed in Nairobi National Park and was destroyed, killing both occupants. The DHC-8 safely returned to Wilson Airport, with all 39 passengers and five crew on board uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to the leading edge of the right-hand horizontal stabilizer and was subsequently repaired.  

On March 8, 2024, a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced an excursion while exiting the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston. The left main landing gear departed the paved surface during the excursion and contacted a concrete structure that was recessed into the ground, resulting in its separation. The aircraft was substantially damaged, although it has since been repaired. The six crew and 160 passengers were deplaned via airstairs, with no injuries reported. 

We now move on to March 20, 2024, when an All Nippon Airways flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo operated by a Boeing 787-9 suffered serious damage to its right forward fuselage from lightning strikes at an altitude of 5,000ft (1,524m), 35 miles (55 km) south of Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT) while on approach. The aircraft continued to Narita where a safe landing was carried out. No injuries were sustained, although the damage to the aircraft was assessed to be substantial. It has since returned to service, however. 

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Three days later, on March 23, 2024, an ABX Air Boeing 767-00 freighter suffered a tailstrike during a landing attempt at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City. The aircraft was sufficiently repaired to ferry it back to the US where it has remained in storage since September 2024.  

As the month ended, on March 31, 2024, a Safe Air Boeing 727 operating a cargo flight from Juba to Malakal in Kenya crashed following a heavy landing at Malakal Airport in South Sudan. The aircraft slid into the wreckage of the aforementioned McDonnell Douglas MD-82 of African Express Airways that had been involved in an accident there the previous month (see above). Both aircraft were written off as a result.  

April 

Representing the only event to meet our criteria in April 2024, on April 13, 2024, a WestJet Encore De Havilland DHC-8-Q400 suffered a tailstrike on landing at Calgary International Airport (YYC). No injuries were caused by the incident. During the landing, following an excessive pitch-up movement by the aircraft, its aft fuselage contacted the runway approximately 326 meters (1,070ft) beyond the runway threshold. The aircraft remains under repair at the end of 2024, some seven months after the incident. 

May  

April’s excellent safety record was not to be replicated the following month. On May 3, 2024, a JSX Air Embraer EMB-145LR regional jet experienced a left main landing gear collapse during landing at Houston-Hobby International Airport (HOU) operating a flight from Dallas. Of the three crew and 21 passengers onboard, one crew member sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged and was not repaired.  

On May 5, 2024, a R’Komor Air Fokker 50 sustained substantial damage when it was involved in a runway overrun at Mohéli Bandar Es Salam Airport (NWA) in the Comoros Islands. Of the 58 people onboard, only one was seriously injured. According to reports, the aircraft was accelerating for take-off when it experienced two blowouts of the left main landing gear. The crew rejected the take-off at high speed but overran the end of the runway, coming to rest in some bushes with the right main landing gear collapsed. 

Also on May 5, 2024, a Serve Air Cargo Boeing 737-300 cargo aircraft suffered a runway excursion at Kinshasa-N’djili International Airport in Congo (NIH). The aircraft reportedly experienced an engine failure during its approach to the airport and was substantially damaged because of the overrun. The 32-year-old aircraft was subsequently written off.  

Remaining in Africa, on May 9, 2024, a Transair Boeing 737-300 operating on behalf of Air Senegal suffered a runway excursion following an aborted take-off at Dakar-Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Senegal. Ten occupants were injured as a result of the incident and the aircraft was damaged beyond economical repair.  

On May 21, 2024, while flying over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar on a flight between London and Singapore, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER encountered severe turbulence. One passenger died on the flight following a cardiac arrest, while 30 other occupants suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Bangkok following the incident.  

As the month ended, on May 31, 2024, an Air France A330-200 was parked on the ground at N’Djamena Airport (NDJ) in Chad when the plane pivoted on its main gear due to strong winds, causing the nose gear to move more than a meter to the right. This incident led to the aircraft colliding heavily with a high-loader baggage vehicle parked alongside, resulting in major damage to the A330. The aircraft was positioned at Lourdes-Tarbes Airport (LDE) in France in September 2024, where it remains at present.  

June  

Kicking off the next month, on June 4, 2024, another WestJet Encore De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400 suffered a heavy landing at Calgary Airport (YYC). According to the Aviation Safety Database, the aircraft touched down with a recorded vertical acceleration of 2.47g with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft not aligned with the runway track. Having been inspected by company engineers, the aircraft’s right-hand main landing gear assembly was replaced due to the side load experienced during the landing. The aircraft then returned to service.  

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On June 9, 2024, an Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200 encountered a severe hailstorm as it was descending through an altitude of about 20,000ft (6,100m) in the vicinity of Hartberg in Austria, about 63 miles (100km) south of its destination of Vienna International Airport (VIE). The aircraft’s nose cone sustained substantial damage, and the windscreen suffered extensive damage, both of which were subsequently repaired. No injuries were reported. 

A Cargojet Airways Boeing 767-300ER freighter was involved in an incident on June 17, 2024, when the auxiliary power unit doors both opened in flight and then departed the aircraft as it was climbing through 25,000 feet (7,621m) over Indianapolis. The airplane returned safely to its departure airport at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG).  

Rounding of the first half of the year, on June 28, 2024, a Porter Airlines De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400 suffered a tailstrike during touchdown at Fredericton Airport (YFC) in Canada. This resulted in the flight crew conducting an immediate go-around. Returning to the airport, the flight completed a visual circuit and landed without further incident. Ground crew personnel later discovered that the underside of the fuselage near the rear cargo door was substantially damaged. The aircraft is still under repair as of December 2024.  

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July 

The second half of 2024 began with an incident on July 2, 2024, when an SM Executive Airlines Airbus A330-300 operating for Garuda Indonesia returned to Solo City in Indonesia (SOC) after the aircraft developed engine problems en route to Madinah in Saudi Arabia carrying Hajj pilgrims. An emergency landing was made back at Solo City around 80 minutes after take-off. However, the aircraft landed and stopped on the runway following which smoke, fire, and flames appeared from one of the engines. The aircraft sustained heavy damage and has not yet been repaired.  

Also in July, a TAROM ATR72 sustained substantial damage on July 15, 2024, as it flew through a major thunderstorm en route to Oradea International Airport (OMR) in Romania. The aircraft was substantially damaged and remains under repair as of December 2024. No injuries were reported.  

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On July 20, 2024, A De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400 operated by Oriental Air Bridge from Fukuoka to Tsushima in Japan was taxiing on the runway after landing at Tsushima when a black kite collided with the propeller blades of one of the engines. The aircraft was grounded following part of the propellor blade detaching and damaging the forward fuselage. There were no injuries among the 40 people onboard and the aircraft has since been repaired.  

July 24, 2024, saw the year’s first major airline accident in which there were fatalities. On that date, a Saurya Airlines Canadair CRJ-200ER crashed on take-off from Kathmandu Airport (KTM) in Nepal, killing 18 of the 19 occupants. The aircraft was being flown to Pokhara for a maintenance check. Among the passengers were airline maintenance engineers, other airline staff, and one child. Videos from the accident sequence show the CRJ-200 descending in a right-wing low attitude before it struck the ground, bursting into flames. 


 

August 

On August 3, 2024, a Tassili Airlines DHC-8-300 suffered a burst tire during its take-off run in Illizi, Algeria. According to reports. debris from the tire struck the right-hand propeller. One of the blade tips then separated, striking a passenger window. Once in the air, the crew shut down the engine while they circled the airport for an emergency landing. The aircraft landed safely and came to a full stop on the runway. The aircraft currently remains under repair.  

In a third incident at Malakal Airstrip in South Sudan this year, on August 9, 2024, a Bombardier DHC-8-300, operated by Renegade Air on behalf of the UN Humanitarian Air Service, suffered an accident on landing. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the aircraft lost both main gear wheel sets after striking a dam on departure from Maban Airstrip. The flight continued to Malakal with the main undercarriage extended (although without the wheel sets). A belly landing was carried out at Malakal where the aircraft was substantially damaged and is now awaiting repair. 

2024’s second major airline accident came on August 9, 2024, when a Voepass Linhas Aéreas ATR72 flight from Cascavel to São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) was destroyed when it crashed near Vinhedo in São Paulo, Brazil. All 58 passengers and 4 crew members perished in the accident. 
 
Footage posted online after the crash showed the aircraft in a fully developed spin with little to no forward speed before it impacted a residential area and burst into flames. Inflight icing was heavily suspected as the cause of the accident, causing a loss of lift and a stall-induced spin. 

On August 12, 2024, an Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F from Tokyo to Los Angeles was taking off at Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT) when two aft tires burst on the left body landing gear. Fragments of the burst tires were later discovered on the runway, which was then closed for two hours while the debris was removed.   

The aircraft reported hydraulic and pressurization problems after take-off and turned back to Narita where it made a safe landing. Dents and cracks in the aircraft fuselage were later found by engineers. It has since been repaired and returned to service. 

On August 23, 2024, an Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 737-400 overran the runway on take-off from Khost Airport (KHT) in Afghanistan. The tail of the aircraft struck the ground and impacted a fence before it got airborne. The flight diverted to Kabul Airport, where it landed safely. The aircraft sustained extensive damage to its rear fuselage as a result of the incident and remains under repair.  

On August 27, 2024, a DHL International 767-300F suffered a tailstrike during a landing at Milan-Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Italy. The aircraft sustained damage to its rear fuselage and tail and is still undergoing repairs as of December 2024.  

Closing out August 2024, on August 29, 2024, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800, operating on behalf of Ceiba International Airways from Bata to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, experienced a runway excursion after landing at Malabo International Airport (SSG). The aircraft sustained heavy damage and is now being repaired. There were no injuries to those onboard.  

moonm Wikimedia Commons

On August 31, 2024, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300 was involved in a ground contact incident with a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000. Both aircraft were taxiing down a taxiway when, during a turn, the left-hand winglet of the Delta plane struck the horizontal stabilizer of the Virgin A350. However, both flights continued to their respective destinations, where each aircraft was repaired.  

September 

On September 9, 2024, a Trigana Air ATR42 suffered a runway excursion after an aborted take-off from Serui Airport (ZRI) in Indonesia. The flight had arrived from Biak and was continuing to Jayapura at the time of the accident. The aircraft ended up on the left side of the runway in a mix of soft ground and low-level shrubbery and was extensively damaged, although thankfully there were no injuries. The aircraft was subsequently written off.  

On September 10. 2024, a Delta Air Lines A350-900 collided with an Endeavor Air (Delta Connection) Canadair CRJ-900 while taxiing for departure at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). According to the Aviation Safety Database, the CRJ was holding short of the runway waiting for take-off clearance, as the A350 taxied along an intersecting taxiway. 

As the A350 passed behind the CRJ, where the taxiways intersected, the right wingtip of the A350 impacted the vertical stabilizer of the CRJ, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage of the CRJ and minor damage to the A350.  The passengers and crew aboard both airplanes were unharmed, with the sole exception of a flight attendant aboard the CRJ, who sustained a minor injury. Both the A350 and the CRJ are being repaired.   

On September 11, 2024, an Air Transat Airbus A330-200 and a Corsair Airbus A330-900neo were involved in a ground collision at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). The Corsair had just landed, but while exiting the runway its left-wing winglet struck the Air Transat aircraft. There were no injuries reported on either aircraft.  

October  

Approaching the end of the year, on October 18, 2024, a Turkish Airlines Airbus suffered a tailstrike during an attempted landing at Dublin Airport (DUB) in Ireland. A go-around was initiated and the aircraft landed on the same runway, some 13 minutes later. As of December 13, 2024, the aircraft remains in repair at the carrier’s Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) maintenance base.  

On October 19, 2024, a Kobio Aviation De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter veered off the runway at Kairik Airstrip in Papua New Guinea during its take-off run and ended up in a ditch, sustaining substantial damage. During the take-off roll, the aircraft veered to the left of the runway and onto the grass surface. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its left wing and nose. 

On October 20, 2024, a SAM Air DHC-6 Twin Otter stalled while on approach to Bumi Panua Pohuwato Airport in Indonesia, killing all four occupants. The aircraft, with three crew and one passenger, departed from Gorontalo-Jalaluddin Airport (GTO) for a short flight to Bumi Panua Pohuwato Airport. The Twin Otter crashed into a waterlogged field close to the airport and was destroyed.  

On October 21, 2024, a China Southern 787-9 Dreamliner sustained heavy damage following a hard landing and tailstrike accident at Guangzhou-Baiyun International Airport (CAN) after a flight from Shanghai, though no one onboard was injured. 

Wenjie Zheng Shutterstock

According to reports, the aircraft sunk rapidly before touching down at a pitch altitude of five degrees and a vertical load of 1.36g. The copilot selected the thrust reversers. The aircraft then bounced to a height of about three feet (2m). The crew continued to pull the stick back and the second touchdown pitch attitude was 7.6 degrees, the vertical load 2.47g. The aircraft has not flown since and is currently under repair.  

On October 29, 2024, a United Parcel Service Airbus A300-622F experienced a tail strike while landing at Louisville-Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), the company’s main US base. The aircraft taxied to the ramp without further incident. No injuries were reported, though the aircraft itself sustained extensive damage and has since been repaired. 

November  

A Total Linhas Aéreas Boeing 737-400F made an emergency landing at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Brazil on November 9, 2024, after a fire had broken out in the cargo hold. The aircraft departed Vitória International Airport (VIX) on its regular cargo flight to Sao Paulo. While on approach to runway 28L, the flight crew declared an emergency. The flight touched down safely, although images show that the aircraft had been extensively damaged by fire before landing. Neither pilot was injured.  

On November 19, 2024, a Cargojet Boeing 767-300ER freighter experienced a runway overrun after landing at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The aircraft’s nose landing gear subsequently collapsed. The flight crew had advised of flap and hydraulic problems and that they would land at a higher speed than normal. Upon landing, the aircraft overran the end of the runway by 573 meters (1,880 ft). The plane has not flown since.  

On November 24, 2024, an Azimuth Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100 suffered an accident while landing at Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey after a routine flight from Sochi in Russia with 95 people onboard. The aircraft landed hard, causing damage to the undercarriage and a subsequent fuel spill which ignited causing a large fire. All those onboard were evacuated safely. At the time of writing, the aircraft remains in Antalya.   

Ronen Fefer Shutterstock

On November 25, 2024, a DHL flight from Leipzig to Vilnius, operated by a Swiftair Boeing 737-400F, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while on approach to runway 19 at Vilnius International Airport (VNO). One of the pilots was killed, while the remaining four people onboard survived but sustained serious injuries. The aircraft impacted terrain around a mile short of the runway at Vilnius. The matter remains under investigation.  

Lastly, on November 27, 2024, a Nolinor Aviation Boeing 737-400 suffered a left-hand main gear collapse during a flapless landing on runway 24 at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport (YMX) in Quebec, Canada. There were no injuries.  

The aircraft had departed Québec City Airport (YQB) on a scheduled flight to Bagotville in Quebec, although a fault caused the flight to divert to Montréal–Mirabel Airport. During the landing, the left-hand main gear collapsed, and the left-hand engine nacelle struck the runway as the aircraft slid to a stop. The aircraft is reportedly being repaired. 

December  

On December 11, 2024, an Allied Air Cargo 737-400F veered off the right side of the runway after landing at Abuja International Airport (ABV) in Nigeria. Unconfirmed reports stated that the right main landing gear failed upon landing. The aircraft came to a rest in a grassy area and sustained substantial damage. 

According to reports, the 737 was transporting money and other goods for the Central Bank of Nigeria to Abuja at the time of the incident. The status of the aircraft is currently unknown.   

Occurring right at the end of the year, on December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer ERJ190-AR crashed while attempting to make an emergency landing at Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. The aircraft had been performing a routine scheduled passenger flight from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia with 62 passengers and 5 crew onboard.

Treflyn Flickrcom

While early reports stated that the aircraft had suffered a technical malfunction while it was diverting to Atkau Airport due to fog at its intended destination of Grozny, subsequent images and footage posted on social media following the accident indicated that there may have been some external intervention which caused a partial loss of control, possibly due to catastrophic hydraulic failure.

The aircraft impacted terrain approximately one mile (3km) short of the runway at Atkau and caught fire. There were 38 people confirmed to have died in the accident, with the aircraft destroyed on impact. An investigation is underway by the Azerbaijani and Kazakhstani aviation authorities to discover the cause of the accident.

Lastly, on December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 suffered a gear-up landing at Muan Airport (MWX) in South Korea after completing a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. The aircraft slid along runway 19 at Muan Airport at high speed before exiting the runway surface and colliding with a nearby wall.

The impact saw the aircraft break into several sections and catch fire. Early reports suggest that almost all of the 175 passengers and six crewmembers lost their lives in what will be the worst fatal airline accident in many years. Two flight attendants, seated toward the rear of the aircraft, are known to have survived.

Summary 

As the curtain falls on 2024, despite the extensive list of accidents and incidents listed above, the year has remained remarkably safe regarding commercial air travel. However, 2024 has seen four fatal commercial passenger flights with the tragic loss of around 300 lives – a total that is significantly higher than the 72 fatalities in 2023.  

While other events have led to aircraft being written off and others sustaining significant damage, this low number of fatal accidents is a testament to a mix of well-trained crews as well as improvements in aircraft design and technology, thus making flying safer for all. Given the total number of commercial flights operated worldwide in 2024 (the highest on record), the amount of fatal accidents in the year is still remarkably low.

The aviation industry can only hope that 2025 will continue on an overall trajectory of safety improvement and that the number of fatal accidents remains low. However, only time will tell as to whether those hopes are realized.        

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