TDS Desk:

The recent tragic crash of a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft in Dhaka’s Uttara area, which claimed 31 lives—including the majority of students at Milestone School and College—adds to a series of devastating aviation accidents worldwide in recent years.

Reuters has highlighted some of the deadliest air disasters globally over the past few years, underscoring the persistent risks of air travel.

RECENT MAJOR TRAGEDIES INCLUDE:

INDIA (AHMEDABAD): An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on 12 June 2025 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing 260 people. A preliminary report found that the aircraft’s fuel control switches were turned off just after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel. This accident is among the worst in India’s aviation history.

UNITED STATES: On 29 January 2025, a collision between a plane and a military helicopter near Washington National Airport killed all 67 people onboard both aircraft. The crash happened around 9 pm local time, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River.

SOUTH KOREA: On 29 December 2024, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed while making an emergency landing at Muan Airport, killing 179 of the 181 onboard. This was the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil.

KAZAKHSTAN: On 25 December 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near Aktau city, killing 38 of the 67 passengers and crew. The plane was diverted to avoid a conflict zone near Grozny, Russia, where fighting was ongoing.

JAPAN: On 2 January 2024, two aircraft collided on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. A JAL Airbus A350 with 379 people onboard struck a smaller Coast Guard plane, killing all aboard both aircraft.

CHINA: On 21 March 2022, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into mountainous terrain in Guangxi, killing all 132 onboard. It was China’s deadliest aviation accident in nearly three decades.

IRAN: On 8 January 2020, a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 was mistakenly shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, killing all 176 aboard.

ETHIOPIA: On 10 March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 onboard. The disaster led to a worldwide grounding of the Max 8 fleet.

INDONESIA: On 29 October 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 onboard.

MALAYSIA: On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine amid conflict, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Earlier that year on March 8, Flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared en route to Beijing, with no wreckage or passengers ever found.

As Bangladesh mourns the loss in the recent Uttara crash, the incident is a grim reminder of the dangers that still accompany air travel globally despite technological advances. Authorities have declared a day of national mourning and launched an investigation into the cause of the tragedy.