Commercial Aviation Safety Improves On Five-year Average But Took A Step Back From 2023 - IATA
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The commercial aviation industry delivered an improved overall performance on safety in 2024 including showing improvements on the five-year average, but it took a step back from an exceptional performance in 2023, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Based on the 2024 Annual Safety Report released today, the IATA said the all-accident rate of 1.13 per million flights (one accident per 880,000 flights) was better than the five-year average (2020 to 2024) of 1.25, but worse than the 1.09 recorded in 2023.
“There were seven fatal accidents in 2024 among 40.6 million flights. That is higher than the single fatal accident recorded in 2023 and the five-year average of five fatal accidents,” it said in a statement today.
It also said there were 244 on-board fatalities in 2024 compared to the 72 fatalities reported in 2023 and the five-year average of 144.
“Fatality risk remained low at 0.06, below the five-year average (0.10) although double the 0.03 reported in 2023,” it said.
However, the IATA noted that commercial aviation continues to be one of the safest modes of public transportation, as demonstrated by the long-term trend of significantly reduced accident rates, decreasing from 3.72 accidents per million sectors in 2005 to 1.13 in 2024.
“This improvement is attributed to the industry’s dedication to safety, leveraging advancements in safety management, technology, training, and safety culture to mitigate future risks,” it said.
IATA director general Willie Walsh said there were 40.6 million flights in 2024 and seven fatal accidents.
“Even with recent high-profile aviation accidents, it is important to remember that accidents are extremely rare. Moreover, the long-term story of aviation safety is one of continuous improvement.
“A decade ago, the five-year average (2011-2015) was one accident for every 456,000 flights. Today, the five-year average (2020-2024) is one accident for every 810,000 flights,” he said.
As for Asia-Pacific, the IATA said with seven accidents in 2024, the all-accident rate increased from 0.92 per million sectors in 2023 to 1.04 in 2024 but remained below the five-year regional average of 1.10.
“Fatality risk was unchanged from 2023 at 0.15. There was no dominant classification for accidents in the region which included tail strikes, runway damage and turbulence, among others,” it added.
-- BERNAMA