- Fatal accidents and fatalities rose significantly with seven fatal crashes resulting in 244 onboard deaths.
- Two aircraft were lost due to targeted attacks in conflict zones.
- There was a surge in GPS/GNSS signal interference incidents, raising concerns about navigation safety.
- Human factors such as pilot handling and violations of standard operating procedures (SOP) were major contributors to accidents.
- Tail strikes and runway excursions were the most common types of incidents.
- Airlines audited by the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) had lower accident rates than non-IOSA carriers.
- Delayed investigations remain a concern, with only about 57% completed between 2018 and 2023.
- Regional disparities persist, with Africa having the highest accident rate while North America and MENA regions showed improvement.
- Continuous industry initiatives continue to strengthen overall safety.
IATA's analysis reveals long-term improvements in aviation safety. In 2005, there were 3.72 accidents per one-million flights compared to today's figures. Ongoing efforts in improving safety culture, management controls, technology, and training have contributed significantly to this decline.
However, certain challenges persist. The risk of fatalities has increased; it is now around .06 per one-million flights. Geopolitical conflicts posed significant threats too; two civilian aircraft were targeted in Sudan and Kazakhstan resulting in casualties.
Emerging technological hazards like GPS interference have also risen sharply. Reports indicate a .75% increase in such incidents affecting aircraft navigation systems.
Human factors remain critical as well. Manual handling errors contributed to .9% of accidents while non-compliance with procedures was noted in .5%. Unstable approaches accounted for .6% of mishaps.
Tail strikes (.2 incidents) and runway excursions (.0 incidents) topped the list as common accident types but were generally low severity cases.
On average, IOSA-audited airlines experienced fewer accidents (.92 per million flights) compared to non-IOSA carriers (.70 per million flights). This highlights the impact of global safety standards on real-world results.
Timely completion of accident investigations remains an issue globally; approximately .7% were finished between .8-.3 period depriving important lessons from being learned promptly.
Regional differences show Africa's high rates at .6 accidents/million flights whereas Latin America's rates doubled over a year reaching .77/million flights.. Europe & Asia-Pacific remained close to their five-year averages showing minor upticks
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