The 2022 ‘Safety Report’ released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for global aviation showed a reduction in the number of fatal accidents and the fatality risk, compared to 2021 and to the five year average (2018-2022).
According to the report, there were five fatal accidents involving loss of life to passengers and crew in 2022.
This is reduced from seven in 2021 and an improvement on the five year average (2018-2022) which was also seven.
The fatal accident rate improved to 0.16 per million sectors for 2022, from 0.27 per million sectors in 2021, and also was ahead of the five year fatal accident rate of 0.20.
It further revealed that the all accident rate was 1.21 per million sectors, a reduction compared to the rate of 1.26 accidents for the five years 2018-2022, but an increase compared to 1.13 accidents per million sectors in 2021.
The fatality risk declined to 0.11 from 0.23 in 2021 and 0.13 for the five years, 2018-2022.
IATA member airlines experienced one fatal accident in 2022, with 19 fatalities.
“Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents among 32.2 million flights in 2022. That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage. But even though the risk of flying is exceptionally low, it is not risk-free. Careful analysis of the trends that are emerging even at these very high levels of safety is what will make flying even safer. This year’s report, for example, tells us that we need to make some special efforts on turboprop operations in Africa and Latin America. Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and our goal is to have every flight take off and land safely regardless of region or aircraft type,” IATA’s director general, Willie Walsh, noted.
Despite the reduction in the number of fatal accidents, the report stated that the number of fatalities rose from 121 in 2021 to 158 in 2022.
It further said the majority of fatalities in 2022 occurred in a single aircraft accident in China that claimed the lives of 132 persons.
However, IATA said the airline involved was not an IATA member but is on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry.
The next largest loss of life occurred in an accident to an IATA member in Tanzania that resulted in 19 fatalities.
“IOSA continues to be the global standard for operational safety audits. With carriers on the IOSA registry having an aggregate safety record that is four times better than non-IOSA carriers, it is clearly continuing to make a difference. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, we are transitioning IOSA to a risk-based model. By focusing on pertinent safety risks while maintaining a baseline of safety, IOSA will contribute to raising the safety bar even higher. Additionally, the IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA), for operators of smaller aircraft that are not eligible for the IOSA program, ensures we look to deliver continuous improvement in safety performance across the whole aviation ecosystem,” Walsh said.
The report also stated that the global average jet hull loss rate rose slightly in 2022 compared to the five-year average (2018-2022).
Five regions, it state, saw improvements, or no deterioration, compared to the five-year average.
The number of turboprop accidents declined in 2022 compared to 2021 but they accounted for four of the five fatal accidents last year with loss of life to passengers and crew onboard.
Six regions showed improvement or no deterioration, in the turboprop hull loss rate in 2022 when compared to the five-year average.
The two regions to see increases compared to the five-year average were Latin America/Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.
“Both sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America saw increases in turboprop accidents last year. Introduction and adherence to global standards (including IOSA) are key to reversing this trend. The priority for Africa continues to be implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS),” the director general said.
At year-end 2022, some 28 African countries (61%) had an Effective Implementation (EI) rate of ICAO SARPS of 60% or greater, unchanged from 2021. Increased attention is being placed to address the critical elements of the ICAO SARPS.
“Building a data rich environment across Africa is also essential to delivering regional improvements such as IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management program,” said Walsh.
“Turning to Latin America, the region took a step back in 2022 after registering steady safety improvements for several years. Working with government and industry stakeholders through bodies such as the Regional Aviation Safety Group Pan America, IATA is helping provide tools to enable state regulators and operators to support the adoption of safety best practices. At the local level, Collaborative Safety Teams and Runway Safety Teams are using IATA’s GADM safety database and other data sources to identify and mitigate risks,” said Walsh.
