Near-miss at Midway Airport sparks fresh safety concerns
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A Southwest Airlines jet lands at Midway Airport in 2022. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
A near-crash at Midway Airport Tuesday has worsened passenger fears about flying in 2025.
The latest: A Southwest Airlines plane was landing when a smaller Flexjet plane crossed the runway, even though those pilots were told not to by air traffic controllers.
- The Southwest crew performed evasive maneuvers to abort the landing and prevent a collision, according to CNN.
The big picture: The mixup was yet another instance of air travel problems in 2025.
- Earlier this year, two jets clipped wings at O'Hare.
Flashback: Midway is widely considered one of the most dangerous airports in the U.S., based on its complicated mix of runways in such a densely populated area of Chicago.
- In 2005, a plane skidded off the runway, hitting several cars.
Zoom in: According to Google Trends data dating back to 2004, searches for "is it safe to fly" have skyrocketed in the last month, second only to searches during the pandemic.
- A new AP poll also delivers similar results from potential passengers.
Reality check: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says 2025 is on pace for fewer fatal aviation accidents compared to the last several years, despite the I'll-just-drive vibes lately.
By the numbers: There have been 13 fatal U.S. aviation accidents so far in 2025, per NTSB data.
- There were 31 such accidents in January and February 2024, 28 during those months in 2023, 33 in 2022 and 39 in 2021.
How it works: That includes all U.S. civil aviation, from single-engine private planes to commercial airliners — the latter of which have far more pristine safety records.
- It also includes Alaska, where often treacherous conditions can make flying more dangerous compared to the Lower 48.
Caveat: This is a measurement of overall accidents, not the number of fatalities.
Zoom out: If you don't have worries about flying, Midway may still be your best bet for value. It's the fifth-cheapest airport to fly out of domestically, per the latest Transportation Department data.
Yes, but: This is a snapshot in time, and airfares can rise and fall over the year.
- The actual amount you'll pay for any given ticket will also, of course, depend on variables like the route, upgrades, schedules and so on.
The bottom line: It's perfectly reasonable to be concerned about aviation safety right now, given all the headlines. But frequency illusion is a heck of a thing, and as Superman said: Statistically speaking, flying is still the safest way to travel.