Airline accident deaths highest for eight years

The number of deaths in passenger airliner accidents worldwide from January to June 2002 was the highest total for the first half of a year for eight years, it was revealed today.

The 716 fatalities figure was far in excess of the 114 in the first six months of 2001 and was the worst since 1994 when 741 people died in the January-June period, statistics from Flight International magazine revealed.