The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified runway incidents, landing-related events and airport infrastructure gaps as major contributors to aviation accidents recorded globally in 2025.
According to the association’s 2025 Annual Safety Report, the most common accident categories during the year included tail strikes, landing gear incidents, runway excursions, and ground damage.
The findings highlighted the critical importance of safety measures during take-off, landing, and aircraft ground handling, which remain among the most risk-sensitive phases of flight operations.
Notably, the report recorded no loss-of-control in-flight accidents (LOC-I) in 2025.
Such incidents are historically among the leading causes of aviation fatalities.
The Director General of IATA, Willie Walsh, said airport infrastructure also played a role in several accidents.
“Airport infrastructure and runway environments play a critical role in accident outcomes. In several events, rigid obstacles near runways increased accident severity, likely turning otherwise survivable occurrences into fatal ones”, Walsh said.
He urged airport operators and regulators worldwide to review runway safety areas and surrounding structures to ensure compliance with international safety standards.
The report indicated that airport facilities contributed to about 16 per cent of accidents recorded in 2025, reinforcing the need for improved runway safety zones, clearer markings, proper lighting systems and effective management of runway surface conditions.
Regionally, Africa recorded the highest accident rate in 2025 despite an improvement from the previous year. The region recorded seven accidents, bringing the accident rate down from 12.13 per million sectors in 2024 to 7.86 in 2025, though still higher than the global average.
In contrast, several regions recorded improved safety performance, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, where accident rates either declined or remained relatively stable.
IATA also warned about emerging operational risks such as conflict-zone airspace and interference with satellite navigation systems.
Reported incidents of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference, including GPS spoofing and signal jamming, have risen sharply in recent years, posing potential risks to aircraft navigation systems.
Walsh called for stronger coordination between governments, military authorities and civil aviation regulators to protect commercial aircraft operations.
“Civil aircraft must never be placed at risk from military activity, deliberately or accidentally. Safety depends on transparency, coordination and timely information sharing”, he said.