Africa recorded the highest aviation accident rate in the world in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association’s Annual Safety Report, even though the total number of crashes on the continent declined compared with the previous year. The report highlights persistent safety challenges that continue to affect air travel across the region, underscoring the need for stronger infrastructure, better regulatory oversight and faster accident investigations.
The data shows that African airlines and operators experienced seven accidents in 2025, down from eleven in 2024, but the continent still had the highest accident rate globally when measured against the number of flights conducted. With 7.86 accidents per million flights, Africa far exceeded the safety performance of Europe, Asia and North America, where advanced safety systems and infrastructure generally result in much lower accident rates. Despite recording improvements relative to its own five year average of 9.37 accidents per million flights, Africa’s figure remains the highest among all world regions, pointing to lingering structural issues in airline safety.
A major factor contributing to the high accident rate is Africa’s widespread use of turboprop aircraft for regional travel. These aircraft are favoured for short haul routes because they are inexpensive to operate and can function from smaller airports with shorter runways. However, the IATA report shows that turboprops were involved in about 71 percent of all accidents recorded on the continent in 2025. Turboprops accounted for most of the fatality risk increase, with the era of zero fatal accidents in Africa during 2024 giving way to a rate of 2.19 fatalities per million flights in 2025. Analysts say that while turboprops are essential for connecting remote communities and smaller cities, their operation often exposes them to challenging runway environments and less developed aviation infrastructure, increasing the risk in certain conditions.
Runway related issues were among the most frequent safety concerns identified by IATA. Runway excursions, where an aircraft overruns or veers off the runway during landing or takeoff, were a leading cause of incidents. In many cases, the design of runway environments, proximity of rigid obstacles and insufficient safety areas around runways were cited as factors that worsened accident outcomes. Poorly maintained or inadequately designed airport surfaces can significantly impact an aircraft’s ability to stop safely, particularly in wet or challenging weather conditions.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, emphasised that airport infrastructure plays a critical role in aviation safety. He urged national regulators and airport operators to review runway and airfield safety areas to ensure they comply with international standards. Enhanced runway safety measures such as clear zones around airstrips, properly angled embankments and certified runway surface conditions can reduce the severity of excursions and give pilots better margins for error.
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Another serious concern highlighted in the report is the slow pace and low completion rate of aviation accident investigations in Africa. Only about 19 percent of accident investigations in the region were completed in line with international standards set out under the Chicago Convention, the global treaty that governs civil aviation safety. This figure pales in comparison with other regions; for example, investigation completion rates reached 81 percent in the Commonwealth of Independent States and 78 percent in North America. Delays and incomplete investigations hinder the industry’s ability to learn from accidents and implement corrective measures. Walsh noted that timely and thorough investigations are essential for identifying safety gaps and preventing similar incidents in the future.
Experts believe that the lack of robust investigation capacity in many African countries reflects broader resource and institutional challenges. Building a professional cadre of investigators, equipped with modern tools and methodologies, requires sustained investment and coordination with international partners. Without such capacity, vital lessons from accidents may be lost, and systemic issues could persist.
While Africa’s accident rate is the highest globally, the IATA report also points to wider improvements in aviation safety around the world. Globally, 51 accidents were recorded in 2025 across 38.7 million flights, a slight improvement compared with 54 incidents the year before. However, fatal accidents increased to eight, resulting in 394 deaths, up from 244 in 2024. Despite these figures, Walsh reiterated that air travel remains the safest form of long distance transportation.
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The report also highlighted emerging safety risks linked to geopolitical tensions and disruptions of satellite navigation systems. Global Navigation Satellite Systems are vulnerable to interference in regions affected by military activity, which can mislead aircraft navigation and create hazards. Governments and aviation authorities must work closely to ensure that civil aviation operations are not jeopardised by military operations or conflicts that affect GNSS signals.
Addressing Africa’s aviation safety challenges will require coordinated action from national civil aviation authorities, airport operators, airlines, international partners and the broader aviation community. Investments in infrastructure improvements, enhanced regulatory oversight, better training and expanded investigation capacity are critical steps toward reducing the region’s accident rates. While progress has been made, the handling of safety issues must remain a priority if confidence in African air travel is to grow and align more closely with global safety standards.
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