Trump takes credit for no air travel deaths in 2017

by Jordan Fabian - 01/02/18 9:34 AM ET

President Trump on Tuesday took credit for the safest year on record in commercial aviation.

“Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news – it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!” Trump tweeted.

Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news – it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

The president did not detail what steps he took to improve airline safety. His highest-profile initiative — privatizing air-traffic control — stalled in Congress.

“President Trump raised the bar for our nation’s aviation safety and security,” White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement seeking to explain the tweet.

Shah cited Trump’s stalled plan to revamp the nation’s air-traffic control system and new vetting procedures for foreign travelers.

“The president is pleased there were no commercial airline deaths in 2017, and hopes this remains consistent in 2018 and beyond,” the spokesman said.

Trump’s tweet came in response to a new study that showed 2017 was the safest year ever for air travel. {mosads}

Airlines recorded zero deaths on commercial passenger jets worldwide, according to a report published by the group Aviation Safety Network.

Overall, there were 10 fatal commercial passenger and cargo plane crashes that killed 44 people. Those crashes involved small propeller planes and cargo aircraft.

Commercial air travel has had an excellent safety record in the U.S. for almost a decade.

There has not been a fatal passenger airline crash in the U.S. since 2009, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The last deadly commuter plane crash took place in Hawaii in 2013.