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Russia the most dangerous place to fly in 2006: IATA

2007-06-06 10:52:40

Tue Apr 17, 10:00 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia remains the most dangerous place to fly despite

global improvements that made 2006 the safest year on record, the International

Air Transport Association (IATA) reported on Tuesday.

Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had an

accident rate 13 times the global average, IATA said.

Improvements in Africa were part of a positive annual report from the

Geneva-based trade organization, which said major global accidents fell to 77

from 111 a year earlier.

The industry on average had 0.65 serious accidents per million flights for

Western-built jets or one accident for every 1.5 million flights.

In the CIS the rate was 8.6 accidents per million flights, or twice the rate of

Africa, where the level fell to 4.31 from 9.2.

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said the industry's expected growth of

5 to 6 percent per year would force airlines to continue to do better.

"The safety results for 2006 are impressive. Air transport remains the safest

form of travel," he said, but added: "The accident rate must decrease just to

keep the actual number of accidents in check. The goal will always be zero

accidents."

IATA's tally of accidents focuses on those which involve the loss of the

aircraft.

Bad weather, miscommunication and lapses in crew training remain the key

factors that cause accidents.

IATA, which includes some 250 airlines and more than 90 percent of the world's

scheduled international air traffic, endorses safety through a program which

helps airlines adopt global safety practices and standards.

Its latest report underscored the need for tighter safety for cargo airlines,

noting cargo accounted for just 4 percent of traffic last year yet 24 percent

of the serious accidents.