A Dutch aviation safety organisation says 2019 was one of the safest years on record for commercial planes, despite the Ethiopian Airlines crash that heightened fears about Boeing's 737 MAX passenger jets.

Key points: Last year was the seventh-safest year in aviation history, the Dutch aviation organisation says

Last year was the seventh-safest year in aviation history, the Dutch aviation organisation says This is despite the Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed 157 people and grounded Boeing's 737 MAX 8 planes

This is despite the Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed 157 people and grounded Boeing's 737 MAX 8 planes The second-deadliest plane crash of 2019 was in May, when a Russian Aeroflot plane caught fire after an emergency landing

Analysis from Aviation Safety Network found there were 20 fatal airliner crashes in 2019, resulting in the deaths of 283 people.

The report said 2019 was the seventh-safest year since 1946, with the safest on record being 2017, when there were 10 crashes and 44 deaths.

The Dutch organisation used data from planes certified for carrying 14 or more passengers when counting the number of fatal crashes. Military flights were not included in the statistics.

Aviation Safety Network chief executive Harro Ranter said there had been an increase in the number of accidents, but tweeted that 2019 had been a "relatively safe year".

Boeing crashes fuel fears

But 2019 saw serious aviation safety concerns raised after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed in March.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet went down minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. An investigation found pilots had followed proper guidance, but could not control the plane.

Boeing's 737 MAX 8 jets were grounded around the world in the wake of the crash.

The Ethiopian Airlines disaster was the second Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in the space of five months.

Plane parts lie on the ground at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines crash. ( AP: Mulugeta Ayene )

In October 2018, a Lion Air jet crashed into the ocean off the coast of Indonesia 13 minutes after taking off. All 189 people on board died in the crash.

Boeing's board last month voted to pause production of its 737 MAX series after the US Federal Aviation Administration said it would not approve the plane's return to service before 2020.

Boeing had continued to produce 42 737 MAX jets per month, even though deliveries were frozen until regulators approved the aircraft to fly commercially again.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash had the highest number of fatalities for 2019, with the second-highest being a fiery crash at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport in May.

An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B made an emergency landing following an electrical fault.

The Aviation Safety Network said the jet bounced twice — once to the height of 6 metres — rupturing a fuel line and engulfing the rear of the plane in flames. Of the 78 people on board, 41 people died.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 9 seconds 1 m 9 s The Aeroflot plane burst into flames after an emergency landing in Moscow.

The third most deadly accident happened in November, with a Dornier 228-201 crashing shortly after taking off at the Goma Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

All 17 passengers and two pilots were killed, along with seven others on the ground.

The plane crash which killed Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala and a pilot was not included in the Dutch aviation organisation's data set.

Sala was en route from western France with pilot David Ibbotson to make his debut for Welsh team Cardiff City when their light plane crashed into the English Channel.

The wreckage was located two weeks after the plane went missing.

The 28-year-old football star was travelling to join a new club when his plane crashed into the ocean. ( AP )

But air travel is getting safer

Despite the deadly crashes and Boeing's 737 MAX woes, Mr Ranter said air travel safety had vastly improved in recent years.

The accident rate is one fatal crash per 2 million flights, based on an estimated 39 million flights worldwide.

Mr Ranter says the rate of fatal crashes has decreased in the past 20 years. ( Unsplash )

"If the accident rate had remained the same as 10 years ago, there would have been 34 fatal accidents last year," he said.

"At the accident rate of the year 2000, there would even have been 65 fatal accidents.

"This shows the enormous progress in terms of safety in the past two decades."

Aviation Safety Network describes itself as an independent organisation created to provide people with a professional interest in aviation with information about information and aircraft safety issues.