The Effect of Generational Transitions in Commercial Jet Technology on Aviation Safety

The technological development of commercial jets has led to a long-term declining trend in accident risks and the frequency of fatal accidents in the aviation industry. Examining the factors behind this trend is necessary from an aviation technology perspective. The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting fatal accidents in commercial jets and the importance of these factors. In the research, the number of fatal accidents was used as the dependent variable, while the number of hull losses and the number of flights were used as independent variables. A generalized linear model was applied to examine these relationships. According to the results obtained, the increase in the number of hull losses had a statistically significant and positive effect on fatal accidents. Accordingly, hull losses are a critical determinant for fatal accident risk. Additionally, the increase in the number of flights had a negative and significant effect on fatal accidents. This finding shows that as flight volume increased, the fatal accident rate decreased in a statistically significant manner. This situation confirms the positive effect of technological innovations in new generation commercial jets on aviation safety.