European air traffic further increased during 2024, and with it came a rise in fatal accidents involving European aircraft operators, according to data released on Tuesday as part of EASA’s 2025 Annual Safety Review.According to the latest EASA report, the key risk areas for global air safety are aircraft upset, airborne collision, and collisions on runways.
Florian Guillermet, the agency’s executive director, noted that the number of lives lost—three—in three separate fatal accidents last year was the highest in the European commercial air transport sector in recent years. All of these accidents involved airliners, and there were no fatal accidents involving non-commercial business aviation flights involving what EASA categorizes as “complex aeroplanes.” These are defined as having an mtow in excess of 5,700 kilograms (12,566 pounds) and with a turbofan engine or more than one turboprop.
Last year, there were seven fatal helicopter accidents with 14 lives lost, including four accidents involving non-commercial flights. Worldwide, there were 11 fatal accidents among commercial air transport operations, with 301 fatalities.
Overall, the general aviation sector experienced 27 fatal accidents with non-complex aeroplanes and 44 fatalities. The total number of lives lost in light aircraft was less than average levels of fatalities during the period spanning 2014 to 2023, and EASA recorded no fatal uncrewed aircraft accidents in its member states last year.