According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), an online service that covers airline accidents and safety issues, 2014 has been the safest year for flying on record since 1942.
Including both high-profile air tragedies of the still missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 jet carrying 227 passengers and the recently disappeared but presumably crashed AirAsia Flight 8501 carrying 162 people and crew members on board, there have been a total of 21 fatal airliner accidents this year—the lowest since the ASN database began.
Here's a snapshot via ASN of the last five years in comparison to 1942.
The year 2014 has been the safest year for flying since 1942 with a total of 21 fatal airliner accidents.
The data show the number of fatal airliner accidents and fatalities per year, including only commercial flights with 14 or more passengers on board. The figures do not include corporate jet and military transport accidents or hijackings.
According to the Washington Post, despite the comparatively low number of fatal accidents, 2014 has seen a spike in fatalities.
Data from ASN shows 1,083 deaths for 2014 so far, over half of which can be accounted for by the AirAsia flight and two Malaysia Air flights earlier in the year.
ASN also compiled a graphic illustrating disappearances of aircraft from 1948 to 2014.
According to the map, there have been a total of 89 missing aircraft since 1948, with the period of 2010 to 2014 accounting for the smallest amount of instances. 
With such horrific events dominating the airwaves, it would seem hard to believe that flying now is safer than it’s ever been, but the numbers tell a different, more reassuring story.