African airlines have achieved an impressive safety milestone, completing their fourth consecutive accident-free year in 2023, as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its aviation safety review.
The comprehensive review, released this week, highlighted that African airlines have maintained a remarkable record of no fatal accidents involving passenger jet aircraft since 2020. The overall accident rate exhibited improvement, decreasing from 10.88 per million sectors in 2022 to 6.38 in 2023, surpassing the 5-year average of 7.11.
The safety performance of African airlines aligns with positive global aviation trends, showcasing substantial progress in the sector. IATA emphasized the continual advancement in aviation safety, stating that several parameters in 2023 demonstrated “best-ever” results, reinforcing the notion that flying remains the safest mode of transport.
Despite a tragic turboprop accident in Nepal resulting in 72 fatalities, Africa reported zero fatal accidents involving turboprop aircraft for the fifth time since 2015.Remarkably, African airlines sustained their exceptional safety record even amid a 17 percent increase in aircraft movements during the previous year, recording 37 million aircraft movements in 2023.
In a proactive move to enhance aviation safety on the continent, IATA introduced the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme (CASIP) in June 2023 under its Focus Africa Initiative.
CASIP encourages states to enhance their implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for aviation safety, reflecting a commitment to fostering a secure aviation environment in Africa.
