By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Africa recorded the highest aviation accident rate in the world in 2025, according to the latest safety report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The report, published in the association’s 2025 Annual Safety Review, revealed that the continent recorded seven accidents during the year, translating to an all-accident rate of 7.86 per million sectors.
Although this represents a decline from the 12.13 accidents per million sectors recorded in 2024, the figure remains the highest among all global regions.
According to IATA, about 71 per cent of accidents involving Africa-based operators occurred with turboprop aircraft, highlighting persistent operational and infrastructure challenges affecting that category of aircraft.
The report also noted that Africa accounts for the majority of “other end state” incidents recorded globally since 2018. These incidents refer to accidents that cannot be clearly classified due to insufficient information, underscoring the need for stronger compliance with accident investigation standards under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, particularly Annex 13 which governs aircraft accident investigations.
Despite the high accident rate, the report indicated that aviation safety performance in Africa improved in 2025, with the accident rate falling below the five-year regional average of 9.37 per million sectors. However, fatality risks rose during the year.
“Africa recorded seven accidents in 2025, with the accident rate falling to 7.86 per million sectors, lower than 12.13 recorded in 2024 and below the five-year average of 9.37. Fatality risk increased from zero in 2024 to 2.19 in 2025, reflecting fatal incidents during the year,” the report stated.
It added that the most common accident types on the continent were runway excursions and “other end state” events, which occur when accidents cannot be categorised because of incomplete investigation data.
Globally, aviation safety improved slightly in 2025 as the overall accident rate declined despite a rise in fatalities. The industry handled more flights during the year but recorded fewer accidents compared with 2024.
The global all-accident rate improved to 1.32 per million flights in 2025, compared with 1.42 per million flights the previous year. A total of 51 accidents were recorded across 38.7 million flights in 2025, down from 54 accidents across 37.9 million flights in 2024.
However, fatal accidents rose slightly to eight in 2025 from seven recorded in 2024, while on-board fatalities increased to 394, compared with 244 deaths in the previous year.
IATA said the most frequent accident types globally were tail strikes, landing gear incidents, runway excursions, and ground damage, suggesting that many aviation incidents occur during take-off, landing, or ground handling operations.
Despite the increase in fatalities, the association maintained that air travel remains the safest form of long-distance transportation, noting that global aviation safety has improved significantly over the past decade.
Across other regions, safety performance varied in 2025. The Asia-Pacific region recorded six accidents, with the accident rate improving to 0.91 per million sectors from 1.08 in 2024. Europe recorded 11 accidents with an accident rate of 1.30 per million sectors and no fatalities.
North America recorded 16 accidents, raising its accident rate to 1.68 per million sectors, while the Latin America and Caribbean region recorded five accidents with a slightly improved rate of 1.77 per million sectors.
Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa region recorded only one accident in 2025, translating to an improved accident rate of 0.53 per million sectors, while North Asia recorded a single non-fatal tail-strike accident, leaving its accident rate unchanged at 0.16 per million sectors.
