Investigating the impacts of COVID-19 on aviation safety based on occurrences captured through flight data monitoring

Figures & data

Table 1. Cross tabulation of the FDM event counts (frequencies per 10,000 flights), standardised Pearson residuals, and (percentages) of five FDM categories array on column across the three stages of the pandemic displayed on rows.

Stage	CFIT	GA	LOCI	MAC	RE	Total
1st	197 (24)	654 (79)	576 (70)	128 (15)	1360 (164)	2915
	.60	.20	1.60	1.50	−2.2
	(4.14)	(13.74)	(12.1)	(2.69)	(28.57)	(61.23)
2rd	81 (31)	291 (111)	261 (100)	28 (11)	667 (255)	1328
	.00	−.10	1.90	−1.60	−.80
	(1.70)	(6.11)	(5.48)	(0.59)	(14.01)	(27.89)
3nd	29 (20)	114 (80)	58 (41)	17 (12)	300 (211)	518
	−.60	.00	−3.60	.30	3.00
	(0.61)	(2.39)	(1.22)	(0.36)	(6.30)	(10.88)
Total	307	1059	895	173	2327	4761
	(6.45)	(22.24)	(18.8)	(3.63)	(48.88)	(100)

Note: Significant standardised Pearson residuals were highlighted in grey.

Table 2. Cross tabulation on the FDM event counts (frequencies per 10,000 flights), standardised Pearson residuals, and (percentages) of FDM events on seven flight phases array on column across three stages of pandemic displayed on row.

Stage	Take-off	Climb	Cruise	Descent	Approach	Landing	Go-around	Total
1st	593 (72)	21 (3)	99 (12)	210 (25)	556 (67)	691 (83)	745 (90)	2915
	−.50	1.2	.50	2.70	1.40	−2.0	−.30
	(12.46)	(0.44)	(2.08)	(4.41)	(11.68)	(14.51)	(15.65)	(61.23)
2rd	285 (109)	6 (2)	31 (12)	49 (19)	256 (98)	337 (129)	364 (139)	1328
	.00	−.40	−1.10	−1.20	2.10	−1.50	.80
	(5.99)	(0.13)	(0.65)	(1.03)	(5.38)	(7.08)	(7.65)	(27.89)
3nd	115 (81)	1 (1)	19 (13)	17 (12)	55 (39)	180 (127)	131 (92)	518
	.40	−.70	.70	−1.4	−3.7	3.60	−.50
	(2.42)	(0.02)	(0.4)	(0.36)	(1.16)	(3.78)	(2.75)	(10.88)
Total	993	28	149	276	867	1208	1240	4761
	(20.86)	(0.59)	(3.13)	(5.8)	(18.21)	(25.37)	(26.04)	(100)

Note: Significant standardised Pearson residuals were highlighted in grey.

Table 3. Cross tabulation on the FDM event counts (frequencies per 10,000 flights), adjusted standardised residuals, and (percentages) of FDM events on five fleets array on column across three stages of pandemic displayed on rows.

Stage	A319	A320	A321	B773	B777	Total
1st	690 (83)	1269 (153)	521 (63)	96 (12)	339 (41)	2915
	1.90	−.80	3.50	−3.80	−1.40
	(14.49)	(26.65)	(10.94)	(2.02)	(7.12)	(61.23)
2rd	268 (103)	679 (260)	176 (67)	66 (25)	139 (53)	1328
	.10	3.50	.50	−3.40	−2.90
	(5.63)	(14.26)	(3.7)	(1.39)	(2.92)	(27.89)
3nd	85 (60)	201 (142)	36 (25)	88 (62)	108 (76)	518
	−2.10	−2.90	−4.00	7.40	4.60
	(1.79)	(4.22)	(0.76)	(1.85)	(2.27)	(10.88)
Total	1043	2149	733	250	586	4761
	(21.91)	(45.14)	(15.4)	(5.25)	(12.31)	(100)

Note: Significant standardised Pearson residuals were highlighted in grey.

Figure 1. Evolution of the number of flights, FDM events and ASRs between June 2019 and May 2021. The scale on the right-hand side (2000 per scale), displays numbers of flights each month (Red-line); the scale on the left-hand side (100 per scale) shows frequencies of FDM events (Blue-line) and ASRs (Green-line) across 24 months of data.

Line chart describing the evolution of the number of flights, FDM events and submitted ASRs per month between June 2019 and May 2021, there is a significant decrease in flight numbers, FDM events, and ASR numbers from March 2020, but increasing again in October 2020.

Table 4. Cross tabulation on the frequencies, adjusted standardised residuals, and (percentages) of pilots submitted ASRs on FDM events across three stages of the pandemic.

Stage	No	Yes	Total
1st	2071	844	2915
	.20	−.20
	(43.50)	(17.73)	(61.23)
2nd	947	381	1328
	.40	−.40
	(19.89)	(8.00)	(27.89)
3rd	359	159	518
	−.60	.60
	(7.54)	(3.34)	(10.88)
Total	3377	1384	4761
	(70.93)	(29.07)	(100)

Figure 2. The significance association between the three stages of the pandemic and the five categories on FDM exceedances for 24 months are illustrated using a bar chart. The values (on the top of each bar) of FDM exceedances on five FDM categories among three stages of pandemic represented the number of events based on chi-square analysis.

Bar plot representing the FDM event counts for five categories of events among three pandemic stages, the highest frequency of events is runway incursion across three stages.

Figure 3. The significance association between the three stages of the pandemic and seven flight phases on FDM exceedances for 24 months shown as bar chart. The values (on the top of each bar) of FDM exceedances on the seven flight phases among three stages of pandemic represent the number of events based on chi-square analysis.

Bar plot representing the FDM event counts for the seven phases among the three pandemic stages.

Figure 4. The significance association between the three stages of the pandemic and five fleets on FDM exceedances for 24 months are shown as bar chart. The values (on the top of each bar) of FDM exceedances on the five fleets among three stages of pandemic represented the number of events based on chi-square analysis.

Bar plot representing the FDM event counts for five the fleets among the three pandemic stages.

Data availability statement

Due to the privacy restrictions as well as a legally binding confidentiality agreement with the data provider, it is not possible for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.