IATA reports lower global airline accident rate in 2009 - but not in Africa

IATA announced (18-Feb-2010) 2009's accident rate for Western-built jet aircraft was the second lowest in aviation history. The 2009 global accident rate was 0.71 hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft, compared to 0.81 in 2008.

2009 safety statistics:

• 2.3 billion passengers flown on 35 million flights (27 million jet, 8 million turboprop);
• 19 accidents involving western built jet aircraft, compared to 22 in 2008;
• 90 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) compared to 109 in 2008;
• 18 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) compared to 23 in 2008;
• 685 fatalities compared to 502 in 2008.

Regional accident rates:

• North Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had zero western-built jet hull losses in 2009;
• North America (0.41) and Europe (0.45) performed better than the global average of 0.71;
• Asia-Pacific's accident rate worsened to 0.86 in 2009 (compared to 0.58 in 2008) with three accidents involving carriers from the region;
• The Middle East and North Africa region saw its accident rate rise to 3.32 (compared to 1.89 in 2008) with four accidents involving carriers from the region;
• Africa had an accident rate of 9.94, significantly higher than its 2008 rate of 2.12. Africa has once again the worst rate of the world. There were five Western-built jet hull losses with African carriers in 2009. African carriers account for 2% of global traffic, but 26% of global western-built jet hull losses. [more]