# IATA Safety Report Executive Summary 2025

**Publisher:** IATA  
**Published:** 2025-05-15  
**Category:** Global institutions & policy  
**Type:** Report  
**Access:** Free PDF  
**Official source:** https://www.iata.org/en/publications/safety-report/executive-summary  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/iata-safety-report-executive-summary

## At a glance
- Accident rate declined to 1.32 per million flight sectors in 2025, down from 3.72 in 2005, over nearly five billion passengers carried.
- 394 onboard fatalities recorded in 2025; zero Loss of Control Inflight accidents marked a critical safety milestone.
- Runway excursions, landing gear incidents, and tail strikes remain most frequent accident categories for second consecutive year.
- Rigid airport infrastructure—concrete walls, inadequate runway safety areas—directly elevated accident severity and fatality outcomes.
- IOSA-participating airlines demonstrate substantially lower accident rates than non-participating carriers, reinforcing standardised audit value.

## What the report covers
IATA's 2025 Annual Safety Report Executive Summary reviews global civil aviation performance across 38 million flights carrying nearly five billion passengers. The report classifies accidents, analyses emerging trends driven by technological, geopolitical, and environmental factors, and identifies risk concentrations in critical flight phases. Published by the International Air Transport Association, it provides data-driven benchmarks for regulators, airlines, and airport operators seeking strategic risk mitigation priorities.

## Key findings
Long-term safety trajectory remains positive despite annual fluctuations. According to the report, accident rates declined 65% from 3.72 per million flight sectors in 2005 to 1.32 in 2025. This improvement occurred while airlines carried just under five billion passengers on more than 38 million flights. The report confirms that despite periodic annual variations, the long-term direction shows aviation becoming safer.

Fatal accident outcomes increased relative to 2024 despite lower overall accident counts. The report records 394 onboard fatalities in 2025, concentrated in a small number of high-severity events. A particularly notable achievement was the absence of any Loss of Control Inflight (LOC-I) accidents, historically a leading fatality cause and described as 'a significant milestone'.

Runway and ground operations remain highest-risk phases. According to the report, runway excursions, landing gear incidents, and tail strikes were the most frequent accident categories for the second consecutive year, largely linked to adverse weather, manual handling errors, procedural non-compliance, bird strikes, and maintenance issues.

Airport infrastructure directly influences accident severity. The report details multiple incidents where rigid structures—concrete walls, instrument landing system supports, perimeter fences, manholes—converted survivable events into fatal accidents. Examples include Jeju Air at Muan, Ethiopian Airlines at Mekele, and Air Ocean Maroc at Fès–Saïss. The report urges removal of hazardous structures and maintenance of compliant runway safety areas.

Standardised safety audits correlate with lower accident rates. The report states that 'airlines participating in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA member airlines demonstrate substantially lower accident rates than non-participating carriers,' reinforcing the strategic value of expanded adoption of standardised oversight and data-driven programs.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Accident rate per million flight sectors | 1.32 (2025) | Observed; down from 3.72 in 2005 (20-year decline) |
| Onboard fatalities | 394 | Observed in 2025 |
| Passengers carried | Just under 5 billion | Observed in 2025 |
| Commercial flights operated | More than 38 million | Observed in 2025 |
| Loss of Control Inflight accidents | 0 | Observed in 2025; first documented absence marked as milestone |
| Unclassified accidents (2019–2023) | 9 events | Due to incomplete investigations or unpublished final reports |
| IATA Safety Issue Hub content | Nearly 100 safety issues; 200+ guidance materials | As of 2025; utilisation doubled in 2025 |
| IATA Connect airline users | 4,200+ | Since platform launch in 2024 |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — Airport infrastructure and runway design directly influence passenger safety and accident severity. Understanding that compliance with international runway safety standards, hazard mitigation, and proper maintenance reduce fatal outcomes reinforces the business case for investment in airport infrastructure upgrades and regulatory alignment to support both safety and destination reputation.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Aviation safety performance affects travel demand and hospitality occupancy. The report's findings on emerging risks—geopolitical threats, adverse weather, infrastructure constraints—help hoteliers understand flight operation volatility and passenger flow patterns. Strong safety records enhance destination attractiveness, while incidents can disrupt tourism patterns and require crisis communication planning.

**Travel tech & distribution** — Understanding aviation safety trends informs distribution strategy and customer communication. The report demonstrates that safety improvements correlate with standardised audits and data-driven practices. Platforms connecting airlines, airports, and regulators benefit from offering transparency on safety performance. Emerging risks shape flight scheduling algorithms and influence passenger risk perception.

## Methodology and limits
This brief is based on IATA's publicly available executive summary only. The report synthesises official accident investigation reports classified by IATA's Accident Classification Task Force, operational statistics from member airlines, and case studies of major 2025 accidents. It presents observed statistics (accident counts, fatalities, flight volumes) and comparative analysis with historical data (20-year trend) and five-year averages. Limitations include ongoing investigations where final reports remain unpublished and variations in investigation quality across jurisdictions.

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© IATA for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://www.iata.org/en/publications/safety-report/executive-summary