The Airline That Has the Worst Safety Record and Is Still One of the Most Booked Carriers

U.S. airlines carried hundreds of millions of passengers in 2024, with the biggest brands still dominating bookings across major airports. Among them, American Airlines stands out because it remains one of the country’s most-used carriers while its historical accident record is often cited in public safety discussions.

American Airlines remains one of the biggest carriers in the country

American Airlines operates a massive national network that helps explain its booking volume. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in its 2024 annual reporting that it serves more than 350 destinations in over 60 countries, making it one of the largest carriers by passenger traffic and daily departures.

The airline’s scale is especially visible at hubs including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and Miami International Airport. American said it flew roughly 226 million passengers in 2024 across American Eagle and mainline operations, a number that keeps it firmly in the top tier of U.S. airlines by volume.

That size matters when travelers compare safety records. Historical crash databases reviewed by aviation researchers and federal agencies often show American among the U.S. airlines with the highest total number of fatal accidents over several decades, though those totals also reflect the carrier’s age, merger history, and very large number of flights.

What the record shows, and what it does not

American Airlines’ historical record includes several major fatal crashes that remain part of the public conversation. Among the best known are Flight 191 near Chicago O’Hare in 1979, which killed 273 people, and Flight 587 in Belle Harbor, New York, in 2001, which killed 265 people, according to National Transportation Safety Board records.

Those raw totals do not automatically mean American is less safe today than smaller rivals. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board track incidents, maintenance oversight, and accident causes case by case, and neither agency uses a simple lifetime crash count as a current consumer safety ranking.

What is not publicly settled in many viral comparisons is the exact definition of “worst safety record.” Some lists count total fatal crashes, while others focus on fatalities per passenger mile, recent serious incidents, or audit results, and American has not been identified by U.S. regulators as the least safe major airline operating today.

Why people still book it and what travelers can expect

For many travelers, price and schedule still drive the booking decision. American’s network gives it a strong presence in states including Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s monthly air travel data regularly places the airline among the leaders in domestic market share.

The airline also operates one of the country’s largest loyalty systems. American said its AAdvantage program had millions of active members as partnerships, hub connectivity, and frequent departures continued to support demand even during periods when airfare shoppers had multiple low-cost alternatives.

For customers, the practical takeaway is that American remains fully certificated by the FAA and continues to operate at a huge scale across the United States in 2025. Travelers booking the airline can expect the same federal oversight applied to other major U.S. carriers, while long-term safety debates are likely to keep focusing on how historical records are measured and compared.