According to a preliminary report issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, there is a modest improvement for global aviation safety in 2011. The report shows among other findings that in commercial air transport operations, the number of fatal accidents decreased from 46 in 2010 to 45 in 2011.

The statistics released by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on global aviation safety in 2011, shows a modest improvement. In fact, the number of fatal accidents decreased from 46 in 2010 to 45 in 2011 in commercial air transport operations. The figures mentioned at the report concern commercial air transport operations by aeroplanes with maximum take-off mass above 2,250kg.

According to the preliminary data, EASA Member States continue to have a strong safety record. Following the absence of any fatal accident in 2010, there was a single fatal accident involving an EASA Member State operated aircraft in 2011. The accident of the Fairchild Metro III aircraft in Cork, Ireland resulted in 6 fatalities. EASA also highlighted that safety performance continues to show important regional differences because the region of non-EASA Member States in Europe shows the highest number of fatalities with a total of 138. This is followed by the African region with 87 fatalities.

The Agency also reminds that there is still a lot of work that needs to continue on the major accident factors. It assures that the second edition of the European Aviation Safety Plan, covering the four-year period between 2012 and 2015, shows the way forward. The Plan connects the safety issues identified with actions and initiatives launched to address the underlying risks. In addition, the Commission also proposed in 2009 new rules for better investigation of civil aviation accidents.