The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2024 Annual Safety Report. The report shows that the industry “delivered another year of strong overall performance on safety including showing improvements on the five-year average for several key parameters, but it took a step back from an exceptional performance in 2023.”
According to the report, for Africa, “with 10 accidents in 2024, the all-accident rate rose from 8.36 per million sectors in 2023 to 10.59 in 2024, exceeding the five-year average of 8.46. Africa (AFI) recorded the highest accident rate, though the fatality risk remained at zero for the second year in a row. The most common accident types in 2024 were runway excursions, followed by those related to landing gear”
The Safety Report records that in Africa, “Forty percent of all accidents involving AFI-based operators, were on turboprop aircraft. Through the IATA Focus Africa initiative, the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP) continues to mobilize resources to address key safety challenges.”
IATA reports that in Middle East and North Africa: “With two accidents in 2024, the all-accident rate improved from 1.12 accidents per million sectors in 2023 to 1.08 in 2024 and was also better than its five-year average of 1.09. Fatality risk has remained zero since 2019. While no accidents were related to GNSS interference, it has emerged as a critical area of concern in the region.”
Overall, IATA says: “The all-accident rate of 1.13 per million flights (one accident per 880,000 flights) was better than the five-year average of 1.25 but worse than the 1.09 recorded in 2023.”
IATA reports that there were “seven fatal accidents in 2024, among 40.6 million flights. That is higher than the single fatal accident recorded in 2023 and the five-year average of five fatal accidents.”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said: “Even with recent high profile aviation accidents, it is important to remember that accidents are extremely rare. There were 40.6 million flights in 2024 and seven fatal accidents. Moreover, the long-term story of aviation safety is one of continuous improvement.”
The IATA DG recalled that a decade ago, “the five-year average (2011-2015) was one accident for every 456,000 flights. Today, the five-year average (2020-2024) is one accident for every 810,000 flights. That improvement is because we know that every fatality is one too many.” He paid honour to the memory of every life lost in aviation accidents with deepest sympathies.
| ACCIDENT TYPE | 2023 | 2024 | FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE (2020-2024) |
| All accident rate (accidents per one million flights) | 1.09 (1 accident every 0.92 million flights) | 1.13 (1 accident every 0.88 million flights) | 1.25 (1 accident every 0.81 million flights) |
| All accident rate for IATA member airlines | 0.97 (1 accident every 1.03 million flights) | 0.90 (1 accident every 1.11 million flights) | 0.79 (1 accident every 1.24 million flights) |
| Total accidents | 42 | 46 | 39 |
| Fatal accidents | 1
(0 jet and 1 turboprop) |
7 (5 jet and 2 turboprop) |
5 |
| On-board Fatalities | 72 | 244 | 144 |
| Fatality risk | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| IATA member airlines’ fatality risk | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.03 |
| Jet hull losses (per one million flights) | 0.06 (1 major accident every 17.50 million flights) | 0.14 (1 major accident every 7.40 million flights) | 0.15 (1 major accident every 7.12 million flights) |
| Turboprop hull losses (per one million flights) | 0.83 (1 hull loss every 1.20 million flights) | 1.12 (1 hull loss every 0.89 million flights) | 1.37 (1 hull loss every 0.74 million flights) |
| Total flights (million) | 38.6 | 40.6 | 31.8 |
| Region | Jet
Hull Loss |
Turboprop
Hull Loss |
Fatality Risk | |||||||
| 2023 | 2024 | 5 yrs avg
(‘20-’24) |
2023 | 2024 | 5 yrs avg
(‘20-’24) |
2023 | 2024 | 5 yrs avg
(‘20-’24) |
||
| Africa | 0.00 | 1.78 | 0.36 | 2.38 | 5.24 | 5.78 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.60 | |
| Asia-Pacific | 0.00 | 0.36 | 0.26 | 0.85 | 0.86 | 0.34 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | |
| CIS | 1.13 | 0.00 | 0.46 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.67 | 0.00
|
0.00 | 0.47 | |
| Europe | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.21 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.01 | |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.00 | 0.40 | 0.36 | 0.00 | 2.97 | 2.22 | 0.00 | 0.35 | 0.08 | |
| Middle East and North Africa | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00
|
0.00 | 0.00 | |
| North America | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 1.48 | 0.00 | 0.64 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| North Asia | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.05 | |
| Global | 0.06 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.83 | 1.12 | 1.37 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.10 | |