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.
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.
A Cessna CJ1+ aircraft (PR-GFS) crashed while landing at Gastão Madeira State Airport (UBT) in Ubatuba, Brazil, on 9 January 2025, amidst adverse weather. The crash, which claimed the pilot’s life and injured seven others, has raised concerns over private aviation safety in Brazil.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Armenia for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, scheduled for spring 2026 in Yerevan.
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
Baku hosted 14th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The delegations were headed by Uzbekistan’s Minister Laziz Kudratov and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov.
Gazprom has signed new agreements with its Chinese partners to support the launch and operation of the cross-border section of the Far Eastern gas export pipeline to China.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
The OIC's 51st ministerial session convenes in Istanbul to tackle pressing global and regional issues.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed senior Iranian commander Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran’s Quds Force, in a targeted strike in Qom. Izadi was accused of supporting Hamas before its October 2023 attack on Israel.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is accelerating the development and production of interceptor drones to defend against the growing number of Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia in recent attacks.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Armenia for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, scheduled for spring 2026 in Yerevan.
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
Baku hosted 14th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The delegations were headed by Uzbekistan’s Minister Laziz Kudratov and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov.
Gazprom has signed new agreements with its Chinese partners to support the launch and operation of the cross-border section of the Far Eastern gas export pipeline to China.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
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