IATA’s 2025 Safety Report reveals a year of solid global aviation performance, but Africa continues to record the highest regional accident rate despite an improvement from 2024, with a sharp rise in fatality risk raising urgent concerns for the continent’s skies.
The International Air Transport Association released the report on March 9, 2026, highlighting that Africa saw seven accidents in 2025, dropping its all-accident rate to 7.86 per million sectors from 12.13 the previous year. This figure remains below the five-year average of 9.37 but still the worst among all regions, underscoring persistent challenges in infrastructure and operations.
Fatality risk in Africa jumped from zero in 2024 to 2.19 in 2025, a stark reversal after two fatality-free years. Runway excursions and “other end state” incidents—where categorization was hampered by insufficient investigation data—dominated the accidents, with 71% involving turboprop aircraft commonly used for regional routes.
Globally, aviation logged 51 accidents across 38.7 million flights, yielding an all-accident rate of 1.32 per million—better than 2024’s 1.42 but above the five-year average of 1.27. Eight fatal accidents claimed 394 onboard lives, up from seven fatalities and 244 deaths in 2024, though the five-year fatal accident rate has improved to one per 5.6 million flights from one per 3.5 million a decade ago.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh emphasized that “flying is the safest form of long-distance travel,” but stressed that “every accident is one too many,” calling for stricter adherence to global standards in runway safety areas, frangible structures and hazard mitigation. Airport facilities contributed to 16% of all 2025 accidents worldwide, often exacerbating minor issues into severe outcomes through obstacles or poor markings.
Airlines certified under IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) achieved a far superior rate of 0.98 accidents per million flights, compared to 2.55 for non-IOSA carriers, with all eligible IATA members now on the registry. In Africa, where turboprops face heightened risks at secondary airports, Walsh urged regulators to prioritize compliance with Chicago Convention Annex 13 for thorough investigations to prevent recurring threats.
While regions like the Middle East and North Africa improved to 0.53 accidents per million sectors with zero fatalities, and North Asia held steady at 0.16, Africa’s data signals the need for targeted action. Initiatives like IATA’s Focus Africa and the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program are mobilizing support, but experts say national investments in runway upgrades, training and oversight are critical to close the gap.
As intra-African air travel expands under frameworks like the Single African Air Transport Market, the report serves as a wake-up call: sustained safety gains depend on bridging infrastructure deficits and enhancing regulatory muscle across the continent.
