Where Is the Safest Place to Sit on a Plane? Expert Insights Revealed

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - While air travel is one of the modes of transportation with extensive safety regulations, many often feel nervous when they’re about to fly. To ease this anxiety, one effective way that passengers can do this is by answering the question, “Where are the safest places to sit on a ?”

For those looking to alleviate their concerns, this article provides valuable insights, drawing from sources like Travel and Leisure, Forbes, and Wired.

How safe is air travel?

Before we dive into choosing the safest seat, it's important to first acknowledge that air travel is incredibly safe. 

According to MIT News, the risk of death from commercial air travel is improving, with a fatality rate of 1 per 13.7 million passenger boardings worldwide from 2018 to 2022. This compares to the previous period, from 2008 to 2017 when the fatality rate was 1 per every 7.9 million boardings.

An MIT professor, Arnold Barnett, also makes it clear that aviation safety continues to improve, as evidenced by the fact that the chance of dying on an airplane continues to decline by about 7% annually.

Front, Middle, Rear Seat

When it comes to where is the safest place to sit on an airplane, studies, and data suggest that the rear seems to be the safest. While seat location does not guarantee survival in the rare event of an emergency, some research suggests that the rear of the plane is safer than the front. 

According to a study by Time, passengers seated in the back of the plane had a lower fatality rate in crashes, at 32%, compared to 38% for those seated in the front. This difference is attributed to the distribution of kinetic energy during a crash, where the rear tends to remain more intact than other parts, allowing it to separate and remain structurally safer even in a catastrophic event.

Aisle, Center, Window Seat

When it comes to seating options, each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. An aisle seat provides quick access to the aisle, making it easier to evacuate, while a window seat allows you to see outside, giving you a sense of situational awareness. But compared to both, middle seats are often considered the safest.

According to Time, middle seats in the rear of the plane have the lowest fatality rate, at just 28%. By contrast, the worst seats are in the middle third of the cabin, near the aisles, where the fatality rate is 44%. 

Where is the safest place to sit on an airplane?

After considering various factors and reviewing studies and research, it's clear that the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft are statistically the safest place to sit. However, in addition to focusing on your seat choice, it's also important to follow the flight attendant's instructions and safety demonstration. 

After all, air is consistently recognized as one of the safest forms of transportation. To further enhance your sense of security, you can also choose to fly with one of the safest airlines in the world.

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