IATA highlights safety margin of audited carriers

Carriers which had passed the IATA operational safety audit were involved in five hull-loss accidents last year, but the accident rate for these operators was nevertheless three times better than for those outside of the scheme.

The accident rate was 1.14 per million flights for IOSA-registered airlines compared with 3.23 for non-IOSA operators.

IATA says that, over the five-year span from 2010-14, the rate was more than three times better – a figure of 1.48 against 4.99.

Over 400 airlines are IOSA-registered, and the scheme is compulsory for IATA membership.

IATA statistics for 2015 show there were 10 hull-loss accidents involving jets, none of which was fatal. Four of these involved IOSA carriers.

Director general Tony Tyler describes the period as an “extraordinarily safe year”, adding that the operational safety audit is “recognised as the gold standard” for such inspections. He says the association will “continue to tweak” the scheme to maintain its position.

The overall jet accident rate was 0.32, a slight deterioration on the previous year’s level of 0.27.

IATA says it has not counted the loss of the Germanwings or MetroJetAirbuses because they are suspected to have been caused by unlawful interference.

Eight hull-loss accidents involved turboprops. Four were fatal, and one of these involved an IOSA carrier.

IATA’s statistics shows the overall number of casualties, 136, was far fewer than the 2014 figure of 614 and the average of 504 over the previous five years.