Africa's Aviation Accident Rate Highest Globally in 2025

According to the 2025 annual safety report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Africa recorded the highest aviation accident rate globally, with seven accidents and an accident rate of 7.86 per million flights. This represents a decline from the previous year's rate of 12.13 per million.

Despite this improvement, Africa's aviation safety performance remains a concern, as the region accounted for the highest accident rate globally. The report noted that there were 71 accidents involving Africa-based operations, primarily involving turboprop aircraft, which underscores operational infrastructure challenges.

IATA emphasized the importance of stronger compliance with the Chicago Convention's Annex 13 regarding aircraft accident investigations. While the global aviation industry recorded fewer accidents overall, the fatal accident risk increased compared to the previous year.

Nigeria has faced several aviation incidents recently, although they did not result in fatalities. It is important to note that Nigerian domestic airlines are not members of IATA, which means that the association's safety report may not capture every aviation incident within the country.