POLL: Most Americans Say Air Travel Is Safe Despite Recent Scares

(Associated Press) A new poll by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds most Americans believe air travel is generally safe in the U.S.

The poll was released Friday. A

bout 7 in 10 U.S. adults say planes are a “very” or “somewhat” safe method of travel.

Even so, only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults have “a great deal” of confidence that airplanes are being properly maintained, or that they are safe from structural faults.

The poll was conducted following a Jan. 5 accident in which a panel blew off an Alaska Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner in midflight.