Although international airliner accidents declined in 2025 compared with the previous year, 12 fatal accidents resulted in more than 400 passenger and crew fatalities and a further 33 fatalities on the ground, based on data from the Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network.
The report highlights the 29 January 2025 midair collision between a PSA Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as a case underscoring the inherent risk in busy, mixed-use airspace.
According to the Foundation, reducing risk in such environments requires effective civil-military coordination, enhanced situational awareness, modernised and interoperable surveillance and communications systems, and clear deconfliction standards.
Dr. Hassan Shahidi, President and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, said: “This is not a localized issue; it is a rising global safety challenge as aircraft in the military, commercial, general aviation, and rotorcraft sectors, converge near high-density terminals alongside drones and similar new entrants.”
He added: “Managing that convergence requires shared accountability: clear procedures, interoperable equipage, data-driven oversight, and decisive action on recurring risk signals.”
In response to these developments, the Foundation has launched an international task force to coordinate the development of a Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Airborne Conflict. The organisation notes that increasing traffic density, greater operational diversity and the introduction of new entrants are reshaping system exposure and resilience.
The report also calls on industry stakeholders to strengthen system capacity and resilience to keep pace with demand and operational complexity, and to reinforce the global safety learning cycle through disciplined compliance, mature safety management systems, and transparent accident investigations and reporting.
Dr. Shahidi stated: “A system operating near its limits has less margin to absorb variability, disruptions, and surprises.” He further noted: “Safety improves when hazards are reported, analyzed, and acted upon, and when lessons learned are shared quickly enough to prevent the next occurrence.”
Tags: Dr. Hassan Shahidi, Flight Safety Foundation
