AP-NORC Poll: Most Americans say air travel is safe despite recent scares

By DAVID KOENIG and LINLEY SANDERS

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. About 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.