IATA Director highlights safety gains and future priorities
Mark Searle of IATA noted a rise in safety performance over the past decade, while 2025 still recorded 394 fatalities, and outlined three people‑focused priorities and the role of technology.
Improved Safety Record
IATA Director of Safety Mark Searle said aviation safety has improved from one fatal accident per 3.5 million flights to one per 5.6 million flights over the past decade, but 2025 still saw 394 lives lost in aviation accidents.
People‑Centred Priorities
Searle identified three priorities for people: structured knowledge transfer; combining operational experience with digital and AI skills; and protecting a safety culture where workers can report hazards, errors and near misses without fear.
Technology Role and Limits
He said innovations including AI should improve risk awareness and decision‑making while ensuring operations remain safe if systems become unavailable or compromised.
Searle warned that technology alone is never enough and that the aviation system must remain resilient when technology is unavailable, degraded, or provides misleading information, citing GNSS interference as an example.
Standards Implementation
He emphasized that many current safety challenges stem from inconsistent implementation and oversight of global safety standards rather than a lack of standards.