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The year 2024 was marred with a string of aviation disasters which left hundreds of people dead, casting a long shadow over global air travel safety. Two of the deadliest aircraft crashes came towards the end of December --in Azerbaijan and South Korea-- killing nearly 220 passengers in the middle of the peak holiday season, bringing back questions on the safety of flight operations and the standards that airlines practise across the world.
Here are some of the biggest aviation accidents of 2024:
South Korea Plane Crash: 179 Dead
The most recent and deadliest crash occurred on December 28, when a Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air originating from Bangkok, Thailand, and directed to Seoul, crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Muan Airport. All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when the plane belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall. Two crew members were pulled out alive.
Azerbaijan Airlines Crash: 38 Dead
Azerbaijan Airlines international flight J2-8243, originating from Baku and directed to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 39 people. At least 29 people on board survived the crash. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the passenger plane crashed after being damaged due to shooting from the ground in Russia. Reports suggest the aircraft experienced issues with altitude and speed, potentially caused by mechanical failure and declared an emergency. Dense fog worsened the already dangerous conditions.
Small Aircraft Crash In Scotland: Pilot Dead
On December 23, a small aircraft crashed near Scotland's Fife Airport, killing the 50-year-old pilot. Per reports, the aircraft made some unusual manoeuvres shortly after takeoff, before it plummeted into a field.
Private Plane Crash In Brazil: 10 Dead
On December 22, a private plane crashed in Brazil's Gramado. Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, who was piloting the plane, was killed in the crash alongside his wife, three daughters and five other members of the Galeazzi family. According to reports, the small aircraft hit the chimney of a building, as well as a house and a shop as it fell. At least 17 people on the ground were also injured in the accident.
Papua New Guinea Islander Crash: 5 Dead
On December 22, another crash was reported in Papua New Guinea. The incident involved a Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander operated by North Coast Aviation that crashed in a remote area of Morobe Province. All five people on board the plane, travelling from Wasu Airport to Lae-Nadzab Airport, were killed in the crash.
Brazil Missing Plane: 2 Dead
On December 20, a Cessna plane en route from Brazil's Porto Velho to Manaus on a routine flight went missing. The bodies of a missing pilot and his passenger along with the plane's wreckage were found in the Amazon rainforest on Christmas Day.
Hawaii Crash: 2 Dead
On December 17, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Kamaka Air LLC crashed near Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both pilots were killed in the horrific incidents. The plane was reportedly on an instructional flight and had appeared to lose control soon after liftoff. It performed a sharp left bank before crashing into a building.
Argentina Challenger Crash: 2 Dead
Another fatal crash occurred on December 17 when a Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 crashed near Argentina's San Fernando Airport. Both pilots were killed in the crash. The aircraft reportedly missed the runway, hit a perimeter fence, collided with a tree, and caught fire.
Thailand Charter Plane Crash: 9 Dead
Domestic charter flight TFT209, a Cessna Caravan C208B registered to Thai Flying Service Co originating from Suvarnabhumi and directed to Trat, crashed 100 km southeast of Bangkok on August 23, killing all 9 people onboard.
Brazil VoePass Plane Crash: 62 Dead
Voepass regional flight 2283, an ATR-72 turboprop originating from Cascavel and directed to Sao Paulo, crashed on August 11 in the town of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.
Nepal Small Plane Crash: 18 Dead
The CRJ-200 aircraft, a small passenger plane belonging to Nepal's Saurya Airlines, crashed and caught fire while taking off from Kathmandu to the Pokhara airport on July 24, killing 18 people on board and leaving one survivor, the captain.
Malawi Private Plane Crash: 10 Dead
Malawi's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others, including former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, were killed on June 10 en route from Lilongwe to Mzuzu, when the military plane they were travelling in crashed.
Iran Helicopter Crash: 7 Dead
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and six other passengers and crew of a US-made Bell 212 helicopter died in a crash on May 19 in mountainous terrain in the Varzeqan region, near the Azerbaijan border.
Canada Plane Crash: 6 Dead
Six people were killed after a Northwestern Air plane carrying global miner Rio Tinto's workers crashed near Fort Smith in Canada's remote Northwest Territories on January 23. Four passengers and two North Western Air Lease crew members died in the crash, while one passenger survived.
Japan Aircraft Collision: 6 Dead
A Japan Airlines plane collided with a smaller Coast Guard aircraft on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda airport on January 2. All 379 people aboard the JAL plane, an Airbus A350-941 flight, escaped the burning airliner, while five of six crew on the smaller aircraft were killed.