Global airlines, coming off a record-low accident rate in 2017, need to guard against complacency over safety as heavy growth in travel demand stretches the air transport system, industry leaders warned at a conference this week.

There were no jet crashes in 2017 and 19 fatalities across the sector, while some 301 passengers have died in five crashes over just the first five months of 2018, including the first fatality on a U.S. airline since 2009. The other fatal accidents occurred in Cuba, Russia, Iran and Nepal.

Air transportation advocates say it is still by far the safest form of travel. But the industry also needs to modernize a fragmented infrastructure and adopt new technology to keep it safe even as demand balloons, delegates at annual talks of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.

Alexandre de Juniac, director-general of the group of 280 airlines, called for a continued rigid focus on safety.

“No arrogance in any case: (we need) humility and work,” he said after IATA’s three-day meeting in Sydney.

With IATA forecasting passenger traffic will nearly double by 2036, there are worries over whether the industry will be able to attract and train enough capable pilots and engineers.

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