n 2023 there were no hull losses or fatal accidents with passenger aircraft. However, there was a single fatal accident involving a turboprop aircraft, resulting in 72 deaths. In 2023, there were 37 million aircraft movements (jet and turboprop), an increase of 17% compared to the previous year.
Highlights from the report include:
The overall accident rate was 0.80 per million sectors in 2023 (one accident per 1.26 million flights), an improvement from 1.30 in 2022 and the lowest rate in more than a decade. This rate exceeded the five-year (2019-2023) moving average of 1.19 (an average of one accident per 880,293 flights).
The risk of death improved to 0.03 in 2023 from 0.11 in 2022 and 0.11 over the five years, 2019-2023. With this level of safety, on average a person would have to travel by plane every day for 103,239 years to suffer a fatal accident.
IATA member airlines and airlines registered with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) did not experience any fatal accidents in 2023.
In 2023, a single fatal accident occurred in a turboprop aircraft, resulting in 72 fatalities. This is down from five fatal accidents in 2022 and an improvement from the five-year average (2019-2023) of five.
"The 2023 safety performance continues to demonstrate that flying is the safest mode of transportation. Aviation places its highest priority on safety and it shows in the 2023 performance. Aircraft operations recorded no hull losses or fatalities. 2023 also saw the lowest death risk and 'all accident rate' on record. However, a single fatal turboprop accident with 72 deaths reminds us that we can never take safety for granted. And two high-profile accidents in the first month of 2024 show that, even if flying is one of the safest activities a person can do, there is always room for improvement. This is what we have done throughout our history. And we will continue to make flying safer," said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
Regional Safety Performance
The 2023 overall accident rate improved compared to 2022 for all regions except North America and Asia Pacific. No region experienced an aircraft hull loss in 2023. Asia-Pacific recorded a fatal turboprop hull loss, a loss of control accident in Nepal in January 2023 with 72 deaths. As a result, all regions except Asia-Pacific recorded zero death risk in 2023.
North America: The overall accident rate increased from 0.53 per million sectors in 2022 to 1.14 in 2023, but remained better than its five-year average for the region of 1.21. The highest proportion of accidents in 2023 were related to landing gear collapses.
Asia-Pacific: The overall accident rate increased from 0.56 per million sectors in 2022 to 0.78 in 2023, but was better than the five-year average for the region of 1.06. The fatality risk rate per million sectors increased for Asia-Pacific operators from 0.00 in 2022 to 0.16, due to the fatal accident in Nepal in January 2023, due to loss of control in flight.
Africa: The overall accident rate improved from 10.88 per million sectors in 2022 to 6.38 in 2023, better than the 5-year average of 7.11. In 2023 there were no fatalities. This region has had no aircraft hull losses or fatal accidents since 2020. In addition, 2023 marked the fifth case in which Africa reported no fatal turboprop accidents, with the first case being recorded in 2015. Under the Focus initiative Africa, IATA introduced CASIP to improve aviation safety. in Africa. CASIP's efforts continue to partner with states to increase implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) as well as the AFI Regional Aviation Safety Plan (EI) for the Effective Implementation (EI) of ICAO ISARPs have increased the minimum implementation threshold of SARPs at 75% or more (from 60%). Only 12 of Africa's 54 states meet this new threshold, indicating the need for significant improvements.
Middle East and North Africa: The overall accident rate improved from 1.30 accidents per million sectors in 2022 to 1.16 in 2023. It remained slightly above the 5-year average of 0.96. While there have been no accidents related to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference, it has become a critical area of concern in the region.
Commonwealth of Independent States: The overall accident rate improved from 2.16 accidents per million sectors in 2022 to 1.09 in 2023. This rate is better than the region's 5-year average of 3.19 accidents per million sectors sectors. Please note that CIS sectors may undergo larger than normal revisions once actual flown sectors become available. This will affect the accident rate as well as the calculation of the risk of death.
Europe: The overall accident rate improved from 0.98 per million sectors in 2022 to 0.48 accidents in 2023. This rate is better than the region's 5-year average of 0.77 accidents per million sectors. The region has had a zero risk of death since 2018. The highest proportion of accidents were related to landing gear collapses.
North Asia: The overall accident rate improved from 0.45 accidents per million sectors in 2022 to 0.00 in 2023. This was better than the region's 5-year average of 0.16 accidents per million sectors. The mortality hazard rate improved from 0.23 in 2022 to 0.00 in 2023.
Latin America and the Caribbean: In 2023, the region reversed an increase in accidents compared to the previous year. The accident rate per million sectors improved from 4.47 in 2022 to 0.37 in 2023, better than the 5-year average of 1.91.
IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)
IOSA is the global industry standard for airline operational safety. It is also used by many authorities in their regulatory safety programs.
Currently, 425 operators are on the IOSA Registry, including 100 non-IATA members.
The overall accident rate for airlines included in the IOSA registry in 2023 was 56% better than the rate for non-IOSA airlines (0.69 vs. 1.08).
The 2019-2023 average accident rate for IOSA airlines was 0.84 per million sectors, which is almost three times better than the non-IOSA average of 2.24.
The 19 accidents involving IOSA members did not result in helmet loss or fatalities.
“IOSA-registered airlines recorded no hull losses or fatal accidents in 2023. Since 2005, the accident rate of IOSA-registered airlines is almost three times better than that of non-IOSA airlines. This sustained performance demonstrates that implementing global standards improves safety. With IOSA's recent transition to a risk-based model that focuses on relevant safety risks while maintaining a foundation of safety, IOSA will become an even more powerful tool to help airlines and regulators maintain and improve very high levels of safety performance,” Walsh said.
Safety as a shared responsibility
A strong safety culture within the aviation industry is essential for continuous improvement in all aspects of operations. Creating an environment that encourages transparent and timely reporting of incidents and accidents is essential to identifying systemic problems and preventing future events. IATA is actively working on two fronts to reinforce this effort:
Improving airline safety culture: In 2023, IATA introduced the Safety Leadership Charter, designed to reinforce organizational safety culture through airline executives committing to the eight safety leadership principles of the IATA. To date, 45 airlines have signed the contract.
Encourage states to provide complete and timely public accident reports: An IATA analysis of accident investigations from 2018 to 2022 showed that just over half are investigated and published as prescribed by the Chicago Convention. The current compliance gap prevents various aviation industry stakeholders from accessing vital information that could significantly improve flight safety.
"Improvements in safety and the prevention of future accidents arise from learning from past incidents. For airlines, this means cultivating a strong safety culture in which every employee feels responsible for safety and is motivated and expected to provide safety-related information. For states, it means providing timely, complete and public accident reports. Of 226 accidents in the last six years, only 121 final accident reports have been available. This shortfall is not only a blatant disregard for the Chicago Convention but also undermines the safety of our passengers and crew. Governments and their agencies must step up their efforts," Walsh said.
Data-driven approach
Data for the IATA Annual Safety Report is collected through IATA's Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) program, the most diverse aviation data sharing program in the world. Data captured in GADM databases includes accident and incident reports, ground damage, and flight data from more than 470 different industry participants.
"By analyzing data from more than 100,000 flights each day, through GADM, IATA is addressing safety issues before they become problems and continually improving safety. For example, we identified a significant increase in incidents in the interference from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) which we are now addressing with the help of key regulators such as EASA,” Walsh said.
Source: IATA.