Turning Safety into Opportunity: Key Insights from the EASA Annual Safety Review
The EASA Annual Safety Review 2025 serves as a key input to the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS). It provides an overview of aviation safety in Europe in 2024, with comparisons to previous years. Among the various aviation domains, the review includes an analysis of accidents and serious incidents involving unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that occurred in EASA Member States, where the detailed European regulatory framework for UAS operations is applicable.
The data are based on accidents and serious incidents notified to EASA in accordance with Regulation (EU) 996/2010 on accident and serious incident investigation, as well as those reported to the European Central Repository (ECR) in line with Regulation (EU) 376/2014 on occurrence reporting either by national authorities or by organisations or personnel, even on a voluntary basis.
The good news is that in 2024 no fatalities related to UAS have been reported across the 31 EASA Member States (table 1.1 p. 25 of the Review). This compares very favourably with other segments of aviation (e.g. helicopters or gliders). In 2023 there had been only one fatality related to a UAS accident, but this was linked to a model aircraft.
The bad news is that the volume of voluntary reports by drone operators and remote pilots is still very limited. This may be a societal concern, because proactive safety management is essential for the community.
If you want to know about societal concerns around drones, you might consider attending the course UAS-SOC.
Image credit: Annual Safety Review 2025, EASA, 2025.
Secondly, the number of accidents (both fatal and non-fatal) and serious incidents for the years 2023 and 2024 are provided. The data show that in 2024 no fatal accident involving UAS occurred and none of the non-fatal accidents in 2024 resulted in serious injuries on ground.
Image credit: Annual Safety Review 2025, EASA, 2025.
The occurrence categories assigned to UAS accidents and serious incidents in 2023 and 2024 following the ICAO Accident/Incident Data Reporting (ADREP) taxonomy, are of different nature:
- Operational, such as abrupt manoeuvre (AMAN)
- Environmental, such as windshear or thunderstorm (WSTRW)
- Technical, such as system/component failure or malfunction (non-powerplant) (SCF-NP)
- Consequential, such as post-impact fire or smoke (F-POST)
Key Messages
Risk perception versus actual risk
The data confirm that the overall number of fatalities and serious injuries caused by UAS operations in EASA Member States remains very low. This suggests that UAS are not inherently as dangerous as public perception might imply. Communicating this clearly is important for social acceptance, as disproportionate fear of UAS operations can hinder innovation and the integration of unmanned systems into the European airspace.
Safety remains essential
Despite the relatively low number of severe outcomes, the analysis of occurrence categories shows that safety risks exist across different domains—operational, environmental, technical, and consequential. This underlines the importance of continuous safety assessment, monitoring, and mitigation measures, in line with EU regulations. Effective risk management remains a cornerstone to ensuring safe operations as UAS usage grows.
Improved reporting and data quality
The rise in reported non-fatal accidents and serious incidents between last year’s report and this year’s edition highlights not a sudden increase in unsafe operations, but rather an improvement in data processing and completeness of reporting. This trend should be seen positively, as it allows regulators, operators, and manufacturers to learn more effectively from past occurrences and to strengthen safety measures.
Evolving operational environment
The diversity of occurrence categories, ranging from abrupt manoeuvres to environmental hazards and technical malfunctions, reflects the complex operational environments in which UAS operate. As UAS integration with other airspace users increases, a proactive safety culture, supported by effective reporting systems, will become even more critical.
Future Outlook
With the continued development of UAS technologies, urban air mobility, and new applications in logistics, inspection, and public services, the scale of operations will expand. This makes it essential to maintain a balanced approach: promoting public confidence by highlighting the low level of actual risk, while simultaneously reinforcing robust safety systems to address potential hazards as the sector evolves.
“Assessing the risks of UAS operations is essential to keep the number of accidents as close as possible to the target safety level. This approach enables innovation and progress in the sector without imposing unnecessary constraints. While exceeding the safety target may seem beneficial, doing so often entails substantial costs that should be avoided unless clearly justified. By understanding and managing risk intelligently, we can turn safety into a driver for smarter, more ambitious operations.”
Unifly consulting helps clients understand that while the actual risk posed by UAS remains low compared to public perception, safety management remains essential given the wide range of operational, technical, and environmental challenges. Our expertise covers regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and safety communication, enabling organizations to not only meet EU requirements but also foster public trust and social acceptance as UAS operations expand.
For more information, please contact us at press@unifly.aero.
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