Recent deadly crashes in Kazakhstan, South Korea, and the United States, along with the non-fatal flip of a crash-landed jet in Canada, have brought aviation safety into the spotlight.
At the same time, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano has recently unveiled that only 5% of member states had fully implemented comprehensive victim support systems.
The aftermath of an aviation accident extends far beyond the crash site. Families need not just immediate crisis response, but sustained support, clear communication, and access to information throughout investigation processes.
"While we have developed comprehensive frameworks for victim assistance, established robust standards, policies, and detailed guidance for states, our recent audits reveal that only 5% of Member States have fully implemented comprehensive victim support systems. This gap between standards and implementation must be addressed with urgency,"- Sciacchitano said.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2024 Annual Safety Report, saying that "even with recent high profile aviation accidents, it is important to remember that accidents are extremely rare."
There were seven fatal accidents in 2024, among 40.6 million flights. That is higher than the single fatal accident recorded in 2023 and the five-year average of five fatal accidents.
There were 244 on-board fatalities in 2024, compared to the 72 fatalities reported in 2023 and the five-year average of 144.
"The long-term story of aviation safety is one of continuous improvement. A decade ago, the five-year average (2011-2015) was one accident for every 456,000 flights. Today, the five-year average (2020-2024) is one accident for every 810,000 flights. That improvement is because we know that every fatality is one too many. We honor the memory of every life lost in an aviation accident with our deepest sympathies and ever greater resolve to make flying even safer,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
IATA Safety Report underlined the growing incidents of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference, that is "a top concern for aviation safety" requiring urgent global coordination.
The December 2024 downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft is excluded from accident classification in this safety report as it is considered as a conflict-related accident.
“No civil aircraft should ever be a target—deliberate or accidental—of military operations. Governments must step up, enhance intelligence-sharing, and establish clearer global protocols to prevent such tragedies and safeguard civilian aviation,” said Walsh.
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Proliferating conflict zones are an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, executives say, as carriers grapple with missiles and drones, airspace closures, location spoofing and the shoot-down of another passenger flight.
An American Airlines jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk collided near Reagan National Airport on January 29. Flight data shows the jet’s signal was lost over the Potomac River.
Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.
At least 37 people have died and five are missing after devastating floods and landslides hit central Vietnam, officials said Monday, as a new typhoon threatens to worsen the disaster.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk has emerged as a critical point in Russia’s campaign to seize the remaining Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk, and its fate could shape the course of the conflict in the region.
Israel’s top military legal officer Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, has been arrested over the leak of a video showing soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison.
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed on Monday to move on from deadly protests set off by last week's disputed election as she was sworn into office for her first elected term.
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A UPS cargo jet burst into flames and crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, killing seven people — including all three crew members — and injuring 11 others on the ground, officials said.
At least 11 people have died and several others injured after a fire broke out late Tuesday evening at a home for the elderly in Tuzla, northern Bosnia, officials and local media reports.
A driver has rammed into pedestrians and cyclists on France's tourist-frequented Ile d'Oleron island off the Atlantic coast on Wednesday and two people are in intensive care, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
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