Americans’ confidence in air travel safety dips slightly after Washington plane crash: Poll

Americans’ confidence in air travel safety dips slightly after Washington plane crash: Poll
Washington, Feb 19: Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, according to a new poll, but most still believe air transportation is generally safe.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research shows that 64% of US adults say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” That’s down slightly from last year, when 71% said that. About 2 in 10 US adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024.
Faith in government agencies’ ability to ensure safe air travel dipped as well. Just over half of US adults have “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety, down slightly from about 6 in 10 last year.
The poll was conducted Feb. 6-10, shortly after the Jan. 30 collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, DC, but before a Delta jet flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto.
The Washington collision, which killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, was the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. The decline in confidence, while small, suggests that the event may have rattled some Americans. (AP)