Flight safety remained good but various occurrences increased - The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom published the Finnish Aviation Safety Review 2024

Year 2024 was safe in commercial air transport despite two accidents 

Accidents are very rare in Finnish commercial air transport but two occurred last year. In both cases, a passenger was walking down the plane’s retractable stairs when the handrail gave way. The passenger fell down and was seriously injured.

Safety in general and recreational aviation remained better than on average

Six accidents occurred in general and recreational aviation in 2024, which was below the long-term average (8.4). Unfortunately, one of the accidents led to a fatality when a general aviation aircraft crashed after an engine failure after take-off. Both persons on board died. Although there have been isolated fatal accidents in recent years, the overall safety situation has improved significantly over the past ten years.

Near misses mainly caused by drones

In 2024, 14 serious incidents were reported in Finnish commercial air transport. The number was almost double the average for earlier years. Many of the cases were near misses in the air, and a significant share involved a drone. 

In Finland, near misses caused by drone operations remained at a reasonable level, but Finnish aircraft have increasingly often been involved in incidents with drones abroad. In the United Kingdom, particularly in the London region, drones caused several incidents classified as serious.

GNSS interference increased significantly

Finnish commercial air transport traffic continued to grow, but volumes still remained below the pre-COVID-19 level. The closure of Russian airspace and the war in Ukraine continued to cause changes in flight routes, and disruptions in satellite navigation systems caused challenges also in Finnish airspace. In 2024, Traficom received approximately 7,000 reports of GNSS interference. 

Unruly passengers more common

The number of unruly passengers also continued to grow. In 2024, 267 cases were reported in which a passenger had behaved in a disruptive manner on a flight. The cases resulted, for example, in passengers being removed from the aircraft and, in some cases, the flight being aborted. The most common causes included intoxication and failure to follow instructions given by the crew.

Weather phenomena had a growing impact on flight safety

The number of occurrences and incidents caused by weather phenomena reported in 2024 was higher than average. In particular, the impact of turbulence was highlighted. One event was classified as a serious incident when a passenger was injured during a flight because the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.

Number of runway incursions caused by vehicles increased

In 2024, vehicles caused 25 runway incursions at Finnish airports. The number was higher than the year before and above the long-term average. Most cases involved maintenance vehicles on the runway without an appropriate permission, particularly in the winter months when the need for runway maintenance is high.

Safety work continues, proactive risk management one of the goals

In 2024, aviation safety priorities included proactive risk management, fatigue management and reducing the impact of interference in satellite navigation. In 2024, Traficom received approximately 19,600 aviation safety reports. The number was more than double the average for 2014–2023. The growth is partly explained by an increase in the reporting of GNSS interference but the overall reporting activity also improved. 

Traficom will continue its cooperation with aviation organisations to improve safety, and will organise regular safety seminars and publish safety bulletins.