Safety improvements continue in aviation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) stressed the importance of staying alert to safety risks even as the aviation industry has seen major improvements. The association made this point during the opening of the World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) in Istanbul on October 6, hosted by Turkish Airlines.

Fatal accident rate has declined

Mark Searle, IATA's Global Director of Safety, noted that the rate of fatal aviation accidents has dropped from one per 3.5 million flights around ten years ago to one per 5.6 million flights in 2025. Despite this progress, 394 fatalities were recorded in commercial aviation worldwide last year, which Searle called "394 too many."

Future safety depends on human and tech integration

IATA highlighted that upcoming safety advancements will rely on combining human factors, technology, and standards into a unified safety system. A key challenge is the loss of experienced professionals, whose knowledge may be lost as they leave the industry. This issue is further complicated by a new generation of workers with different relationships to digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI).

Human judgment remains vital

Searle warned against over-reliance on technology, emphasizing the need to preserve human intuition, judgment, and decision-making. He suggested three questions to consider before adopting new technology: does it enhance understanding, improve decision-making, and ensure safety if the technology fails?

Risks from cyber threats are rising

Data presented at the conference showed a 67% increase in jamming events and a 193% rise in GPS spoofing cases reported by airlines in 2025 compared to 2023. IATA stressed that no single technology can guarantee safety, and that backup systems, redundancies, and crew training are essential.

Technology helps identify risks early

Technology is also helping to detect risks earlier. The IATA Turbulence Aware program received over 65 million turbulence reports this year, while the SafetyIS system collects operational safety data from 248 airlines. These systems aim to detect risks early and share lessons to prevent more serious incidents.

Legal actions deter safety reporting

IATA expressed concern about how legal actions can discourage voluntary safety reporting. A decline in reports followed when Dutch air traffic controllers were sued for reporting an event. New protections and better coordination between judicial and safety authorities were later introduced.

Inconsistent application of standards

IATA noted that the issue is not the lack of international safety standards but their inconsistent application. Airlines in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry had significantly lower accident rates than those not in the registry. However, only 52% of accident reports from 2020 to 2024 were finalized in line with ICAO Annex 13, delaying the learning process and corrective actions.

Focus on consistent standards

Searle urged the aviation industry to avoid adding more regulations for each new risk. Instead, he called for ensuring that existing standards are consistently understood, applied, and monitored. He also suggested updating or removing outdated standards as needed, with the goal of keeping humans at the center of the system while giving them the tools to understand risks and make informed decisions.