In 2024, Africa experienced a notable increase in aviation accidents, as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The continent recorded 10 accidents, resulting in an all-accident rate of 10.59 per million flights, up from 8.36 in 2023 and surpassing the five-year average of 8.46.
Despite this rise, the fatality risk remained at zero for the second consecutive year, indicating no passenger deaths occurred in these incidents.
The most prevalent types of accidents in Africa were runway excursions and landing gear-related issues, with 40% involving turboprop aircraft.
To address these challenges, IATA’s Focus Africa initiative, through the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP), is actively working to mobilize resources and implement targeted safety measures across the continent.
Globally, the aviation industry saw a slight uptick in accidents in 2024, with an all-accident rate of 1.13 per million flights, equating to one accident every 880,000 flights.
This is a marginal increase from the 1.09 rate in 2023 but remains below the five-year average of 1.25. There were seven fatal accidents worldwide, resulting in 244 on-board fatalities, higher than the single fatal accident and 72 fatalities reported in 2023.
IATA emphasizes the importance of continuous safety improvements and proactive, data-driven approaches to mitigate risks.
The association also highlights the need for enhanced intelligence-sharing and global coordination to address emerging threats, such as those posed by conflict zones and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference.
