IATA Data Shows More Airline Accidents and Fatalities in 2022

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the main trade group for the airlines, released a rather oxymoronic statement this week.

IATA said that while accidents and fatalities were up, the risk of getting into a crash or accident was lower.

Talk about seeing the good in the bad.

"Accidents are rare in aviation," IATA director general Willie Walsh said in a statement. "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."

Key global airline safety metrics in 2022 showed mixed results compared with 2021, according to the IATA Annual Survey.

The total number of accidents in 2022-including passenger and cargo flights-increased to 39 from 29 in 2021 but remained below the average of 43 during the 2018-2022 period. Though
the number of fatal accidents declined to five from seven in 2021, with one jet and four turboprop accidents, the number of onboard fatalities increased to 158 from 121.

The all-accident rate, which is measured by accidents per one million flights, was 1.21, up from 1.13 in 2021, but below the five-year average of 1.26.

For IATA members, the all-accident rate declined to 0.49, or one accident for every 2.1 million
flights, from 0.61 in 2021 and the five-year average of 0.76. The fatality risk also declined to 0.11 from 0.23 a year prior. The five-year average is 0.13.

The total number of flights reached 32.2 million in 2022 versus 25.7 million in 2021, according to IATA.

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