So far in 2009, 719 people have died in plane accidents, over two hundred more than in 2008.

The worst accident was that of the Air France Airbus which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in June, killing all 228 people on board. The figures have been published by the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

The chance of dying as a result of a plane accident in 2009 is reckoned to have been one in every 1.7 million flights. The chance of a cargo plane having an accident is the same as that of a passenger aircraft. Accidents involving small planes or military aircraft are not included in the figures.

photo: the Turkish Airlines crash at Schiphol 2009 (ANP)