CNN NEWSSTAND How airline safety criteria are chosen Windows Media 28K 80K CNN talks with a doctor who assesses whether pilots are healthy enough to fly Windows Media 28K 80K Lessons learned from air disasters Windows Media 28K 80K Safety standards of international airlines Windows Media 28K 80K How to check an airline's safety record Windows Media 28K 80K

November 17, 1999
Web posted at: 12:15 p.m. EST (1715 GMT)

(CNN) -- On the advent of the United States' busy holiday travel season, the EgyptAir Flight 990 disaster presents an uncomfortable reminder of the ultimate, if statistically unlikely, danger of flying. The October 31 crash off Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, killed 217 people.

Following such incidents, many specialists traditionally step forward remind the public that, according to the numbers, flying is the safest means of travel. But many flyers find it difficult to accept both realities.

According to the Air Transport Association, an organization representing the air industry, there's only one fatality for every 3 million passengers boarding scheduled U.S. flights. Computerization and the lessons learned from past disasters are making air travel more precise than ever.

CNN NewsStand is taking a special look at the state of air safety, including the criteria for measuring such safety; how pilots are cleared for flying; the standards of non-U.S. airlines; and ways that regular flyers can check the safety records of their carriers.

For more on CNN NewsStand, visit the program page.