Air Crashes Decline in Africa, Yet 2025 Sees Highest Fatality Risk

Africa’s Airlines showed a significant improvement in safety in 2025, with fewer air crashes reported compared to the previous year. According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2025 Annual Safety Report, released this week, despite this trend, the continent paradoxically had the highest relative risk of fatalities.

The AFI region, which includes Africa and parts of the Indian Ocean, recorded seven accidents in 2025. This resulted in an all-accident rate of 7.86 per million sectors. It marks a significant drop from 12.13 per million in 2024 and is below the region’s five-year average of 9.37.

“This improvement reflects stronger operational discipline in several markets,” the IATA report said. It cites enhanced training and adoption of international safety standards. However, Africa still topped global accident statistics relative to flight activity, remaining the only region above the global average.

Fatality Risk Rebounds After Two Years of Zero Losses

While air crash rates declined sharply, the risk of fatalities rose from zero in 2024 to 2.19 in 2025. Having no fatalities over two consecutive years has made Africa a rare positive spot in aviation safety. However, the new data highlights a troubling reversal.

“The return of fatality risk demands sustained focus on safety management systems across the continent,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Flying remains the safest form of long‑distance travel, but even a single loss of life reminds us that safety is a continuous journey, not a destination.”

Globally, eight fatal accidents and 394 fatalities onboard were recorded in 2025. This is up from 244 deaths in 2024 and higher than the five-year average of 198.

Common Air Craft Types and Structural Challenges

The report noted that runway excursions and “other end state” events were the most common types of accidents in Africa in 2025. Notably, 71% of air crashes involving Africa-based operators involved turboprop aircraft. This aircraft category is often used for short-haul and remote services, where infrastructure challenges may be more significant.

Aviation analysts indicate this pattern raises questions about operational support and regulatory oversight for these planes in difficult environments.

IATA also pointed out systemic weaknesses in accident investigation capacities. Since 2018, Africa has accounted for most of the global “other end state” cases, suggesting problems with post-accident reporting and analysis compliance under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention.

Regional Safety Variations

While Africa’s relative safety status remains the weakest, the report highlighted safety improvements worldwide:

• Asia-Pacific saw its accident rate drop to 0.91 per million sectors.
• Europe recorded 11 accidents with no fatal incidents in 2025.
• North America had 16 accidents, showing moderate improvements in safety systems.
• The Middle East and North Africa continued a fatality-free streak with just one non-fatal runway excursion.

These differences highlight the uneven pace of safety progress among global regions.

Looking Ahead

Industry organizations emphasize that Africa’s safety outlook hinges on deeper regulatory collaboration, infrastructure improvements, and stronger accident investigation systems.

“Data is our compass,” said Walsh. “Better information leads to better mitigation strategies. The goal remains zero accidents and zero fatalities.”

As African aviation continues to grow, with passenger traffic expected to more than double by 2043, safety performance will be crucial for public trust and economic growth across the continent.