BERLIN, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Global air crash fatalities rose sharply in 2024, with 334 lives lost in civil aviation accidents, German media reported on Monday, citing the preliminary data released by the German Aviation Association (BDL).

The fatalities included passengers, crew members, and seven individuals on the ground, it said. This figure marks a significant increase, more than quadrupling the 80 deaths recorded in 2023.

The statistics account for accidents involving aircraft with a seating capacity of at least 14 passengers. Data for smaller aircraft incidents were not immediately available, and accidents involving military aircraft were excluded from the report.

While the BDL reported a rise in air accidents since reaching a record low in 2017, it said that aviation safety has made great progress over the decades, and long-term trends still point to a steady decline in accident rates. "Flying was approximately 53 times safer last year compared to the 1970s," said BDL Managing Director Joachim Lang.

The most catastrophic air tragedy of 2024 occurred on Dec. 29, when a Boeing 737-800 operated by South Korea's Jeju Air crashed during landing. The crash claimed 179 passenger lives. Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing. Enditem

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