Global Aviation Fatalities Rose To 418 In 2025 As Long Term Risk Continues To Fall
Fresh data released on Friday showed that 418 people lost their lives in civil aviation accidents worldwide in 2025. Updated figures from the Aviation Safety Network, presented by the German aviation association BDL, indicated that the victims included 352 passengers, 33 crew members and 33 individuals on the ground.
Comparisons with the previous year revealed that 334 fatalities had been recorded in 2024. Despite the short term increase, long term trends continue to signal a steady decline in the death to passenger ratio. According to BDL, the probability of dying in an aircraft accident in 2025 stood at 1 in 11,459,330.
Historical data showed that during the 1970s the risk was substantially higher, reaching 1 in 264,000. Some years in that decade recorded more than 2,000 aviation deaths, even though the total number of flights was significantly lower.
ICAO estimates indicated that 4.7 billion people traveled by air in 2025. By contrast, the 1970s saw no more than 440 million air travelers annually. Statistics provided by BDL applied only to aircraft with at least 14 seats, excluding military operations and smaller civilian aircraft.
The deadliest incident of 2025 occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, India, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed seconds after takeoff. That disaster killed 229 passengers and 12 crew members, while only one passenger survived. Additionally, 19 people on the ground died in the accident.
Investigations remain underway into the cause, including the sudden loss of thrust in both engines, which has yet to be fully explained.
