Samenvatting
Air transport is increasingly important transport mode. It is estimated that the number of air travel passengers movements in Western Europe will more than double between now and 2010. Over the past 40 years safety of civil air transport has improved significantly: whereas in 1950 the passenger fatality rate was 2 per 10/8 passenger kilometre, in 1991 this rate has decreased to 0.03. Over the last twelve years, there has been an annual average of 75 deaths in civil aircraft accidents in European Union countries. Increased travel will bring further exposure to risk of such accidents.