IATA Steps Up African Safety Drive With Monthly CASIP Workshops

In a fresh bid to address the continent’s lingering aviation safety challenges, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has rolled out a series of specialised Safety Training and Capacity-Building Workshops designed to bolster operational standards across Africa.

The initiative, anchored under IATA’s Focus Africa Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP), consists of monthly workshops and webinars aimed at equipping safety professionals with practical tools, regulatory guidance, and global best practices to strengthen safety management and operational oversight.

While African aviation safety performance recorded progress last year, data shows that significant work remains to align the region with global benchmarks.

According to IATA, Africa’s all-accident rate stood at 7.86 accidents per million sectors in 2025. Although this marks a notable improvement from the continent’s five-year average of 9.37, it remains several times higher than the global average.

Speaking on the initiative, Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, emphasised the need for joint industry action to close the gap.

“The all-accident rate for Africa was 7.86 accidents per million sectors in 2025. That’s an improvement compared to Africa’s five-year average of 9.37, but as this is still several times the global average, we have more work to do,” Alawadhi said.

“Through the CASIP safety workshops, we are bringing together the expertise of industry partners to foster knowledge exchange and give safety professionals practical tools and best practices that can help strengthen safety performance across the continent.”

The training series officially kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya, with an in-person Safety Management Systems (SMS) workshop organised in collaboration with Boeing, Kenya Airways, and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA).

The program launched with an in-person Safety Management Systems (SMS) Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, delivered with support from Boeing, Kenya Airways and IFALPA earlier this month. Upcoming activities include a Ground Operations Risk Management Webinar in August, a Space Debris Awareness Webinar in September, a Runway Safety In-Person Workshop in October and a GNSS RFI Awareness Webinar in November.

The CASIP framework represents a major coalition of key international and regional stakeholders. Beyond IATA, partners backing the drive include the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA), Airbus, Boeing, Brussels Airlines, CANSO, EASA, the US FAA, ICAO, IFALPA, and Kenya Airways.

Wole Shadare