Africa reaches milestone in aviation safety

2023 was the third year without fatal air accidents on the continent, according to a new report

Africa is touting that for the past three consecutive years (2021-2023) there haven’t been any fatal air travel accidents recorded across the continent, International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported on Wednesday.

According to the IATA Annual Safety Report for global aviation, 2023 was also the fifth year Africa has recorded no fatal turboprop accidents. The general accident rate has seen a notable decrease, falling from 10.88 per million in 2022 to 6.38 in 2023, exceeding the five-year average of 7.11.

The report additionally highlights the success of the African aviation sector in adopting improved safety protocols, which have led to zero fatalities and no incidents of “jet hull losses or fatal accidents since 2020.”

The IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh pointed out that “2023 safety performance continues to demonstrate that flying is the safest mode of transport,” adding “Aviation places its highest priority on safety, and that shows in the 2023 performance.” 

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Under the Focus Africa initiative, IATA has introduced the Continuous Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP) to enhance aviation safety in Africa, emphasizing collaborative efforts with states to strengthen the implementation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

The minimum SARPs implementation threshold has been increased to 75% or greater, up from 60%. However, only 12 out of Africa’s 54 states currently meet this new threshold. 

A total of 37 million flights, both jet and turboprop, were registered in 2023 across the world, an increase of 17% over 2022.

Meanwhile, according to another report, South Africa leads in the number of air passengers transported, with over 25 million passengers traveling by air annually. The top 10 also includes Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Mauritius.