Recent data by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that in Africa, the most common type of aviation accident in 2025 were those related to runway issues, followed by accidents related to landing gear.
The data released by the at its recent AGM and summit in Delhi, India show that the aviation accident rate in Africa is by far the highest among all regions of the world. Data supplied by Nick Careen, IATA’s SVP operations, safety and security, shows there were 10 aviation-related accidents in Africa in 2024 and an accident rate of 10.59 per million flights.
This is a deterioration of the region’s five-year average rate of 8.46 and much higher than the rates of other regions, including North America (1.20 per million flights); Asia-Pacific (1.04); Europe (1.02) and Latin America and the Caribbean (1.77). Through the IATA Focus Africa initiative, the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme continues to mobilise resources to tackle safety challenges on the continent.
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As for the global situation of aviation safety and security, Careen proposed four priorities First, governments must keep airspace neutral and accessible, protecting civil aviation from conflict, interference and fragmentation.
Second, governments must mandate timely and transparent accident reporting. IATA points out that delayed or incomplete reports deny operators, manufacturers and regulators the insights needed to prevent future accidents.
Third, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must step up and collaborate with airlines to resolve supply chain bottlenecks and deliver on commitments to get fuel-efficient aircraft into service. Lastly, the industry must unlock the value of data timely, consistent data sharing is essential, according to IATA, to strengthen global aviation safety and efficiency.
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Globally, about 100,000 flights take place each day and in 2024 aviation transported more than 5-billion passengers on about 40-million flights. According to Careen’s presentation, aviation safety remains strong, but operational pressures are growing as the risk landscape shifts, requiring aviation operations to keep evolving. IATA has seen record levels of aircraft groundings due to engine shortages and maintenance, repair and operations capacity constraints.
Then there is “tighter airspace” due to geopolitical conflicts and military activity and persistent staffing shortages, particularly in technical and operational roles. Furthermore, pressure is mounting for the industry to continue to reduce emissions while maintaining profitability. Airlines on IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Register had an accident rate of 0.92 per million flights, lower than the 1.70 recorded by non-IOSA carriers.
In 2024, geopolitical conflicts led to airspace restrictions, affecting a substantial portion of long-haul routes. For example, the Russia-Ukraine conflict resulted in the rerouting of about 1,100 flights daily, leading to longer flight times and increased operational challenges. Two aircraft were downed in conflict zones in 2024 — one in Kazakhstan with 38 fatalities and one in Sudan with five fatalities.
Other concerns raised by IATA is that GPS interference and jamming are becoming more frequent and that recent incidents of lithium battery fires underscore the importance of managing this type of risk properly.
