Aviation safety at record levels: fewer accidents than ever before!

Aviation safety at record levels: fewer accidents than ever before!

The aviation industry has seen some setbacks in terms of safety in 2024, although the numbers remain positive compared to previous years. According to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there were a total of seven fatal accidents on 40.6 million flights, bringing the death toll to 244 - a worrying increase compared to 72 deaths in 2023. The accident rate was 1.13 per million flights, which is better than the five-year average of 1.25 but above last year's figure of 1.09, as reported aerotelegraph.com reported.

Accident statistics show regional differences

The safety situation varied greatly across regions: no accidents were reported in the Soviet Union's successor states last year, while Africa recorded the highest accident rate. In Europe the rate was in the middle at 1.02. This was supplemented by the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL), which confirmed that 334 people died in aviation accidents worldwide. However, IATA boss Willie Walsh stresses that despite recent negative headlines, accidents are extremely rare, with a five-year average of one accident per 810,000 flights. The risk for passengers also remains at 0.06 fatalities per million flights, below the average of 0.10 for the last five years kleinezeitung.at added.

Flying over conflict zones poses a particular challenge, where IATA is pushing for the need for increased international cooperation and clear protective measures for civil aviation. This need has been underscored by the downing of two aircraft in Kazakhstan and Sudan, prompting an urgent call for better security measures. Despite the challenges, IATA remains optimistic about long-term aviation safety trends.