The U.S. FAA issued three Notams, prohibiting American aircraft and pilots to use Iranian (Tehran FIR) and Iraqi (Baghdad FIR) airspace and the airspace over the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
The Aviation Safety Network today released the 2019 airliner accident statistics showing a total of 20 fatal airliner accidents, resulting in 283 fatalities.
Despite the high-profile Boeing 737 MAX accident, the year 2019 was one of the safest years ever for commercial aviation, Aviation Safety Network data show. Yet, while the number of fatalities has decreased, the number of accidents has increased to a level above the five-year average.
Over the year 2019, the Aviation Safety Network recorded a total of 20 fatal airliner accidents [1], resulting in 283 (occupant) fatalities. This makes 2019 the seventh safest year ever by the number of fatal accidents and the third safest in terms of fatalities. The safest year in aviation history was 2017 with 10 accidents and 44 lives lost.
Looking at that five-year average of 14 accidents and 480 fatalities, last year showed a markedly higher number of accidents.
Thirteen accidents involved passenger flights, six were cargo flights. One out of 20 accident airplanes were operated by airlines on the E.U. “blacklist”, down by two compared to 2018.
Surprisingly more than half of the accidents (11) occurred in North America (compared to just one in 2018 and three in 2017). Five accidents occurred in remote or rugged parts of Canada and Alaska. Despite progress made through various safety initiatives by Canadian and U.S. regulators, this still is an area of concern.
Given the estimated worldwide air traffic of about 39,000,000 flights, the accident rate is one fatal accident per almost two million flights.
Reflecting on this accident rate, Aviation Safety Network’s CEO Harro Ranter stated that the level of safety has increased significantly: “If the accident rate had remained the same as ten years ago, there would have been 34 fatal accidents last year. At the accident rate of the year 2000, there would even have been 65 fatal accidents. This shows the enormous progress in terms of safety in the past two decades.”
[1] Statistics are based on all worldwide fatal commercial aircraft accidents (passenger and cargo flights) involving civil aircraft of which the basic model has been certified for carrying 14 or more passengers.
The Aviation Safety Network is an independent organisation located in the Netherlands. Founded in 1996. It has the aim to provide everyone with a (professional) interest in aviation with up-to-date, complete and reliable authoritative information on airliner accidents and safety issues. ASN is an exclusive service of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF). The figures have been compiled using the airliner accident database of the Aviation Safety Network, the Internet leader in aviation safety information. The Aviation Safety Network uses information from authoritative and official sources.
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Harro Ranter
the Aviation Safety Network
e-mail: hr@aviation-safety.net
twitter: @AviationSafety
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration extended the Conflict Zone Notam on Pakistani airspace by a year, to 30 December 2020. U.S. pilots are warned about the risks when flying into and out of Pakistan for the potential threat of terrorists using manpads.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration extended the Conflict Zone Notam on Afghan airspace by a year, warning American pilots to stay at or above FL330 over Afghanistan.
Bamboo Airways passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Bamboo Airways is an airline from Vietnam with hubs at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It commenced operations in 2019. The airline currently has one Airbus A319, eleven A320s, three A320neos, two A321s, four A321neos and two Boeing 787-9s.
The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership.
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Bamboo Airways A321neo (photo: Melv_L – MACASR / CC:by-sa)
Paranair and RAM Express both passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Paranair is a Paraguayan carrier based at Asunción. It started operating flights in 2015 as Amaszonas Paraguay and became Paranair in 2018 .
The airline now operates CRJ-200 jets.
RAM Express is a Moroccan airline established in 2009 and operates six ATR 72-600 turboprops.
The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership.
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Air Zimbabwe passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Air Zimbabwe is the national carrier of Zimbabwe. It was founded as Air Rhodesia in 1967 and was renamed Air Zimbabwe in 1980 when the Republic of Zimbabwe was formed. The airline currently has two Airbus A320s, two Boeing 737-200s, two Boeing 767-200s and two Xian MA60s. Of those aircraft, only one Boeing 767 is currently operational. The airline is preparing a Boeing 737 to resume service.
The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership.
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Air Zimbabwe B767-200 (photo: Allen Watkin; CC:by-sa)
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extended the validity of its Conflict Zone Information Bulletins for Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Yemen to 30 March 2020.
Transaviaexport Airlines passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Transaviaexport Airlines is a Belarus cargo airline. It started operating flights in 1992 and currently operates one Boeing 747-300F and five Ilyushin IL-76TD cargo aircraft.
The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership.
More information:
Transaviaaxport IL-76; photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has found that the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) does not meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and therefore has received a Category 2 rating based on a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority.
A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means that CAAM is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, and/or inspection procedures.
In 2003, Malaysia was assigned a Category 1 rating, meaning CAAM complied with ICAO standards for aviation safety oversight. The FAA conducted an in-country reassessment of Malaysia under the IASA program in April 2019, and met with the CAAM in July 2019 to discuss the results.
This process is an assessment of CAAM and not any individual airline operating inside or outside of Malaysia. With a Category 2 rating, Malaysia’s carriers can continue existing service to the United States. They will not be allowed to establish new service to the United States.
As part of the IASA program, the FAA assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States, or participate in code-sharing arrangements with U.S. partner airlines, and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations.
ICAO
The Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) of ICAO also audits member states. Malaysia was last visited in 2016. The level of ‘Effective Implementation’ of ICAO standards by the Malaysian aviation authorities was 75% on average across all categories. Legislation had the highest score (81%), Aerodromes the lowest (49%).