Along with raising questions about safety, the accidents and increased FAA scrutiny mean airlines including Delta are seeing more delays in getting new aircraft to add flights.

That’s “disappointing, as we’re looking at people wanting to travel post-COVID,” said Laurie Garrow, an aviation expert at Georgia Tech who also does work for Boeing as a consultant.

Shahidi also emphasized that safety shouldn’t be a concern for those flying to take a vacation or see loved ones.

“We have thousands of flights that ... land every day without any incidents and the only thing that passengers are worried about is making sure that make their connections,” Shahidi said.

There are things travelers can do to make sure they’re as safe as possible on flights, however.

Some recent incidents have highlighted the value of keeping your seatbelt buckled throughout the time you’re seated on an airplane — including the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout and severe turbulence incidents that resulted in injuries.

“More than 70% of the injuries that happen due to turbulence is for those that don’t wear a seatbelt,” Shahidi said. “We urge all passengers to wear their seatbelts at all times, even though the seatbelt sign may be turned off. Because clear air turbulence can happen anytime and it’s unpredictable.”

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.