Donald Trump has appeared to claim credit for the fact that 2017 was the safest year on record for flying on commercial airlines. The US president indicated in a back-to-work tweet that his policies – which included a laptop ban from certain Muslim-majority countries – may have contributed.

Last year not a single person died from a commercial jet aircraft crash – a first in the 60 years since it became a regular form of transport.

Mr Trump tweeted: “Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!”

While it is unclear what he was referring to, the US president introduced a string of measures aimed at improving border security in his first year in office.

Passengers from 10 Muslim-majority countries were banned from carrying laptop computers, iPads and other larger electronic devices in early 2017.

The move came after intelligence indicated that the extremist group Isil was developing a bomb to hide in portable electronic devises. The ban was later scaled back.