Some safety yardsticks have not improved in many years, while recent accidents and incidents have exposed areas that still need work: safety on the ground at airports, the training of pilots to handle sophisticated computers, and greater awareness of flight hazards in some developing countries.

WSJ: Airlines Count Down to Safest Year on Record

The board voted to send a Safety Alert to pilots warning them about the hazards of texting during the planning and pre-flight stages.

CNN: Pilot texting a factor in deadly copter crash