The closing weeks of 2024 and the opening stretch of 2025 have painted a somber picture in aviation. A series of incidents—spanning crashes, runway excursions, mechanical failures, and midair collisions—serve as stark reminders of the stakes involved every time a vehicle or aircraft leaves the ground. We take a look at whats occurred.

**Editors Note: Please note the below does not outline every incident or occurrence over the past six weeks. It focuses mainly on on accidents and crashes. For daily incidents head over to the AviationHerald.com. Please also note that dates my vary by a day depending on your location at the time of the accident.**

December 2024: A Prelude of Trouble
The trouble began on December 19 in New Caledonia, when a Caledonie ATR 72 suffered a tail strike while landing at Ouvea. Just three days later, on December 22, Emerald UK's ATR 72 endured a hard landing in Belfast, leading to a nose gear collapse.

A Swiss Airbus A220-300 near Graz suffered uncontained engine failure on December 23, causing onboard smoke and tragically the death of a flight attendant one week later due to A flight attendant aboard a Swiss aircraft that made an emergency landing in Austria due to smoke inhalation/ oxygen deprivation.

Tragedy struck On December 25 when an Azerbaijan Embraer 190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, tragically crashed after reportedly being shot at, losing altitude and impacting the ground.

READ: How the Azerbaijan Air Crash Unfolded - Communications Leaked

On December 27, a PAL Express De Havilland Dash 8-400 veered off the runway upon landing at Bacolod City in the Philippines. A day later, on December 28, a KLM Boeing 737-800 at Oslo suffered hydraulic problems, resulting in a runway excursion. That same day, a PAL De Havilland Dash 8-400 sustained a main gear collapse during a rough landing in Halifax, while a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 endured a gear-up landing and overran the runway at Muan, South Korea, on December 29 tragically killing 179 of the 181 passengers and crew on board.

READ: Jeju Air Crash Latest Analysis

The year’s end left investigators scrambling, with aviation safety concerns mounting globally.

January 2025: A Brutal Start

The New Year offered no respite. On January 7, Emerald UK's ATR 72 faced another hard landing, causing its nose gear to collapse in Belfast—a grim echo of December’s event. The next day, on January 8, a TUI Boeing 737 at Brussels suffered a nose gear collapse while parked at the gate, leaving the aircraft grounded.

Two days later, on January 10, Delta’s Boeing 757-300 at Atlanta aborted its takeoff due to an engine failure, marking another mechanical issue in a troubling trend for the aviation industry.

Mid-January Escalation

The second half of January saw a grim escalation. On January 19, a Qantas Airbus A330-200 near Cairns experienced fumes in the cabin. The following day, January 20, a Karun Airlines Fokker 100 sustained tire damage during takeoff and landing on its Sirjan-to-Tehran route. This was followed by another incident on January 21, when Kasai Airlines' Antonov An-26 overran the runway during landing at Kongolo.

The Final Days of January: A Storm of Crashes

By January’s end, the series of accidents reached its peak. On January 28, Busan Air’s Airbus A321 caught fire during departure preparations at Busan, while Max Air’s Boeing 737-400 in Kano faced a nose gear collapse upon landing.

January 29 was a particularly dark day for aviation. In Washington, a PSA Bombardier CRJ700 collided midair with a helicopter while on final approach, leading to catastrophic loss of life. On the same day, an Eagle Beechcraft 1900 flying over Bentiu lost height and crashed, sealing a grim chapter for the month.

READ: American Airlines Crash Analysis

Just two days later, on January 31, the tragedy continued. A Learjet 55 air ambulance carrying six people, including a child receiving medical treatment, crashed into a busy Philadelphia street shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Witnesses described a massive fireball that shook nearby homes and sent debris scattering across the area. A person in a car became the seventh fatal victim of the crash, joining those aboard the ill-fated aircraft.

We are only three days in to February but already on February 2, passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York were evacuated just before takeoff due to engine issues. The quick response ensured no injuries, according to the Houston Fire Department, which assisted at the scene. The event, while far less severe than others is just another to an already growing list.

Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings, explains, "Incidents and accidents are a regular occurrence across all modes of transport, whether by road, rail, or air. What sets air accidents apart is the global attention they receive—when they occur, everyone hears about it. Additionally, the loss of life in aviation accidents is often much higher than in other transport incidents. The recent tragic crashes, with their devastating loss of life, are both unacceptable and deeply concerning. Nevertheless, despite these tragedies, air travel remains the safest mode of transport. Like the rest of the industry and the families affected, we are all desperate for answers. While this will offer little comfort to the families who have lost loved ones, once we have the answers, strategies can be put in place to ensure these tragedies never happen again."

The final weeks of 2024 and the start of 2025 have seen a number of significant incidents in aviation, including crashes, mechanical failures, and runway excursions. While these events highlight ongoing safety challenges, air travel remains the safest mode of transportation. The industry continues to investigate these incidents and work towards improving safety to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

READ: World’s Safest Airlines for 2025