The latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) do not signal dazzling profits for African airlines. The continent is set to remain the weakest region in 2015, as in the past two years, and net after-tax profit will be $100 million for the continent's airlines collectively. This represents just $1.59 per passenger, or less than a tenth of the predicted profit per passenger of their North American counterparts. Load factors are expected to average the lowest globally, at 56%. On the bright side: Safety performance of African airlines, a longstanding concern for the industry, is improving. The overall accident rate for the region last year was still 11.18 for every one million flights, yet Africa had a jet hull-loss rate of zero. "This is an excellent result," Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO, noted at the June 23 IATA Africa and Middle East Aviation Day in Nairobi, Kenya. But he warns that 2014 should not be one good year in isolation and the "momentum needs to continue and solidify." Only 14 of 54 African states comply with 60% or more International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices.
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