IATA: African carriers are 2% of global traffic, but 23% of global accidents

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic, announced the aviation safety performance for 2010 showing that the year’s accident rate for Western-built jet aircraft as the lowest in aviation history.

The 2010 global accident rate (IATA is measuring the accident rate in "hull losses" per million flights. A hull loss is an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and is not subsequently repaired) was 0.61, equal to one accident for every 1.6 million flights; the 2009 rate (0.71 or one accident for 1.4 million flights) was significantly higher.
The 2010 rate was the lowest in aviation history, just below the 2006 rate of 0.65. In the ten years since 2011 the accident rate has been cut by 42%.

Africa had an accident rate of 7.41 in 2010, which was lower than the 2009 rate of 9.94. While showing improvement, Africa once again has the worst rate in the world. There were four accidents (the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and is not subsequently repaired for whatever reason including a financial decision of the owner) with African carriers in 2010. African carriers are 2% of global traffic, but 23% of global accidents. The airlines involved in accidents in Africa were Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation - B727, Ethiopian Airlines - B737-800 (only accident with fatalities), Air Tanzania - B737-200, Mauritania Airways - B737-70.
The accident rate in 2010 of IOSA carriers (IOSA = IATA Operational Safety Audit) in Africa (for all aircraft types) was more than 50% better than non-IOSA airlines. Among IATA’s efforts in Africa, it established the IATA Program for Safe Operations in Africa (IPSOA). IPSOA ensured that flight data analysis tools are available to all IATA carriers in Africa, and as of the last quarter of 2010, all IATA carriers have this essential safety tool in place. IPSOA will provide IATA with the data needed to develop safety programs targeted at specific challenges in the region.

In absolute numbers, 2010 saw the following results:

• 2.4 billion people flew safely on 36.8 million flights (28.4 million jet, 8.4 million turboprop)
• 17 hull loss accidents involving western-built jet aircraft compared to 19 in 2009
• 94 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) compared to 90 in 2009
• 23 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) compared to 18 in 2009
• 786 fatalities compared to 685 in 2009

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