Aviation safety in sub-Saharan Africa, in terms of the all-accident rate, improved last year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported, in its '2025 Annual Safety Report'. IATA was the global representative body for the airline industry.

In 2024, the region’s all-accident rate had been 12.13 per million sectors but last year this fell to 7.86 per million sectors. The 2025 rate was also lower than the five-year (2021-2025) average for sub-Saharan Africa of 9.37 per million sectors. Nevertheless, the region saw the highest accident rate of any of IATA’s regions, and, unfortunately, the fatality risk, which had been zero in 2024, increased to 2.19 in 2025.

(The global all-accident rate last year was 1.32 per million sectors, a decline from the 1.42 recorded in 2024. But again, there was an increase in onboard fatalities, which came to 394, as against 244 in 2024; both figures were up on the five-year average of 198.)

In terms of numbers, sub-Saharan Africa saw seven accidents last year (out of a global total of 51). Of these, two involved jets and five involved turboprop aircraft. The figure for jets was below that of the five-year average number of three, but the figure for turboprops was the same as that of the five-year average.

“The most common accident types [in sub-Saharan Africa] in 2025 were runway excursions and ‘other end state’,” elucidated IATA. “A review of ‘other end state’ cases (where precise categorisation cannot be made for various reasons including insufficient information) since 2018 show that the region accounts for the majority of these events, underscoring the need for improved compliance with State investigation obligations under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention.”

The region had a lamentable record in concluding accident and incident investigations, IATA pointed out. The investigation completion rate for sub-Saharan Africa was a mere 19%. In very sharp contrast, the completion rate for North Africa and the Middle East was 67%. The second worst region, Latin America and the Caribbean, came in at 60%. The region with the highest completion rate was the Commonwealth of Independent States, at 81%, with North America next (78%), then Europe (75%), the Asia-Pacific (68%) and North Asia (67%). But no-where came close to 100%.

“Accident investigation helps us improve safety, but many reports are not published in a timely, complete, or accessible way,” highlighted IATA director-general Willie Walsh. “Some are not made public while others lack clear recommendations. Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention is clear about State obligations. While compliance with this obligation is improving, anything less than 100% shortchanges everyone on opportunities to improve. Where accident investigation capacity is the challenge, coordinated global support to strengthen investigation capabilities is needed.”