Non-commercial flying accounted for the largest share of fatalities in aviation accidents covered by Eurostat’s latest statistics for 2025. Of the 116 people killed, 109 died in non-commercial operations, four in commercial air transport and three during specialised operations. The figures cover accidents within European Union territory involving aircraft registered in EU Member States.

Compared with 2024, when 91 fatalities were recorded, the number of people killed increased by approximately 27.5%. At the same time, the number of people injured fell from 215 to 143, a decrease of around one-third. Eurostat published the figures on 16 September 2026, using data supplied by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Non-commercial operations encompass a much broader range of activities than private travel, including corporate flights, demonstration flights, flight training and aircraft positioning flights. Specialised operations form a separate category covering activities such as agricultural work, aerial advertising and aerial photography.

By aircraft category, aeroplane accidents accounted for 79 fatalities, helicopter and sailplane accidents for 18 each, and balloon accidents for one. No fatalities were recorded in unmanned aircraft operations, although two people were injured.

The geographical scope is particularly important when interpreting the results. The four fatalities in commercial air transport relate exclusively to accidents within the EU. When accidents involving EU-registered aircraft elsewhere in the world are included, the total for this category in 2025 rises to 16. The figure of four fatalities therefore cannot be interpreted as the total across all commercial operations involving EU-registered aircraft.

The decline in the overall number of people injured also masks differences between categories. In commercial air transport, the number halved from 64 to 32, mainly because fewer people sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, the number of people seriously injured rose slightly, from 27 to 28, the highest figure recorded during the period from 2015 to 2025.

Eurostat notes that the figures for 2023, 2024 and 2025 remain provisional and may be revised once investigations are completed. Annual fluctuations should therefore be considered alongside longer-term results and the types of operations involved: a single accident with a large number of fatalities can significantly alter the overall statistics.