IATA Safety Report: Africa Records Highest Global Aviation Accident Rate Amid Rising Fatality Risk in 2025

IATA's 2025 safety report highlights Africa's 7.86 accident rate per million flights and warns of a spike in fatalities linked to turboprops and poor infrastructure.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 7:06 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Independent

Africa Retains Unwanted Status as Global Aviation Safety Outlier

According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest Annual Safety Report, Africa continued to lead the world in aviation accidents throughout 2025. Although the continent saw a reduction in total incidents—recording seven accidents compared to 11 in 2024—the regional accident rate remains disproportionately high at 7.86 per million flights. While this is an improvement over the five-year average of 9.37, the data reveals a troubling trend in the severity of these incidents. Global aviation authorities are now focusing on the specific operational failures that prevent the continent from aligning with the safety standards seen in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific.

Fatalities Surge as Turboprop Operations Face Intense Scrutiny

The most alarming metric in the 2025 report is the dramatic rise in fatality risk, which surged from zero in 2024 to 2.19 per million flights. IATA identified turboprop aircraft as a primary factor in this deterioration, noting that they were involved in 71% of all accidents involving African operators. Runway excursions—where an aircraft veers off or overshoots the runway—remained a frequent occurrence. The disparity with other regions is stark: Europe maintained a zero fatality risk despite logging 11 accidents, while the Asia-Pacific recorded a stable risk of just 0.15 per million flights. This suggests that while accidents happen globally, they are far more likely to be lethal in the African theater.

Infrastructure Deficiencies Compounding Accident Outcomes

IATA Director General Willie Walsh has pointed to substandard airport infrastructure as a critical factor in transforming survivable incidents into fatal disasters. Walsh noted that rigid obstacles positioned too close to runways often exacerbate the impact of runway excursions. He called for an immediate and comprehensive audit of runway safety areas (RSAs) across the continent to meet global standards. According to Walsh, the survival rate of aviation incidents is heavily dependent on the "runway environment," and failing to modernize these areas represents a non-negotiable risk to passenger safety.