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IATA: Despite drop, Africa tops air accident rate globally
- Region recorded seven accidents in 2025, Middle East, North Africa, with one accident
- 51 crashes across 38.7 million flights
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2025 Annual Safety Report, released on, confirms that the African region (AFI) recorded seven accidents during the 2025 calendar year.
While this number represents a significant improvement in the regional accident rate compared to 2024, Africa continues to have the highest accident rate among global regions.
The report highlights a mixed bag of results for the continent, showing progress in overall frequency but a regression in fatality risk.
The continent’s 2025 rate of 7.86 remains the highest globally, despite the year-on-year improvement.
According to the clearing house for more than 300 global airlines, while jet safety saw a dramatic improvement (falling from 13.10 to 3.59), the turboprop accident rate actually increased to 14.96. Turboprops accounted for five of the seven accidents in the region.
After two years of zero fatality risk (2023–2024), the region saw a spike to 2.19 in 2025. This was driven by a small number of fatal events that highlighted the impact of rigid obstacles near runways.
IATA noted that airport facilities contributed to 16% of global accidents in 2025, stressing that in Africa, the focus remains on the “Focus Africa” initiative to help states achieve the 75% implementation target for International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).
The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region continued its stellar streak with only one accident (a runway excursion) and a fatality risk that has remained at zero since 2019.
Globally, 2025 saw 51 accidents across 38.7 million flights. While the total number of accidents fell (from 54 in 2024), the total number of onboard fatalities rose to 394, emphasising that even as flying becomes statistically safer, the severity of individual incidents remains a critical concern for regulators.
The Director-General of IATA, Willie Walsh, said, “Flying is the safest form of long-distance travel. Accidents are extremely rare, and each one reminds us to be even more focused on continuous improvement through global standards and collaboration guided by safety data.”
The result of that effort, according to him, is clear in how the five-year rolling average rate for fatal accidents has improved., disclosing that a decade ago, the rate stood at one fatal accident for every 3.5 million flights (2012-2016).
“Today, it is one fatal accident for every 5.6 million flights (2021-2025). Flying is so safe that even one accident among the nearly 40 million flights operated annually moves the global data. Every accident is, of course, one too many. The goal for aviation remains zero accidents and zero fatalities.”
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