According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), airline accidents and fatalities rose in 2024 compared to 2023, as outlined in its latest Annual Safety Report. While the long-term outlook for aviation safety continues to improve, the accident rate edged up from 1.09 per million flights in 2023 to 1.13 in 2024.
The report documented 46 accidents across 40.6 million flights in 2024, including seven fatal incidents—up from just one the previous year. Onboard fatalities also surged, climbing from 72 in 2023 to 244 in 2024. Still, the odds of a fatal accident remained slim at 0.06 per million flights, meaning a traveler would need to board over 16 million flights, on average, to encounter one.
“Despite some widely publicized incidents, aviation accidents remain exceptionally rare,” noted Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general. “The bigger picture shows aviation safety steadily advancing over time.”
In 2024, tail strikes and runway excursions topped the list of accident types, though no controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) events occurred. The report also flagged rising security risks, such as two aircraft shot down in conflict zones and a spike in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) disruptions.
Safety outcomes differed by region: North America saw fewer incidents, while Africa recorded the highest accident rate per million flights. Airlines certified under the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) outperformed others, averaging 0.92 accidents per million flights compared to 1.70 for non-IOSA carriers.