The aviation safety body is forming an international task force as denser, more varied traffic increases pressure on systems around busy airports.
Flight Safety Foundation is calling for stronger safeguards in mixed-use airspace, where military, commercial, general aviation and rotorcraft operations converge near high-density terminals alongside drones and other new entrants. The independent nonprofit is forming an international task force to coordinate development of a Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Airborne Conflict. The initiative reflects concern that growing operational complexity and demand are placing greater pressure on the aviation safety ecosystem.
The Foundation’s 2025 Safety Report says international airliner accidents declined in 2025 from the previous year, but 12 fatal accidents involving airliners resulted in more than 400 passenger and crew fatalities, as well as 33 deaths on the ground. The report identifies the January 29, 2025, midair collision between a PSA Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as an example of the risks present in busy, mixed-use airspace. Its findings are based on data drawn from the Aviation Safety Network database.
Flight Safety Foundation says reducing those risks will require effective civil-military coordination, improved situational awareness, modernised and interoperable surveillance and communications, and clear standards for deconfliction. It also calls for stronger system capacity and resilience, disciplined compliance, mature safety-management systems, and transparent accident investigation and reporting. The report records 101 accidents involving airliners of all types in 2025, including the 12 fatal events, and examines the incidents by accident category, phase of flight and type of operation.
The task force places shared accountability at the centre of the organisation’s response. Foundation President and CEO Dr Hassan Shahidi said managing the convergence of different aircraft types requires clear procedures, interoperable equipment, data-driven oversight and decisive action on recurring risk signals. The organisation also argues that a system operating near its limits has less margin to absorb variability, disruptions and surprises, making rapid hazard reporting and the sharing of lessons an important part of aviation’s safety learning cycle.
The development highlights a narrow but increasingly complex challenge for aviation governance: maintaining common safety expectations while the number and variety of operators in constrained airspace expand. Flight Safety Foundation’s proposed global action plan does not replace national or operational responsibilities, but is intended to coordinate expertise and ownership across the sectors involved. Its emphasis on standards, oversight and information-sharing gives the organisation a framework for addressing airborne-conflict risks beyond any single airport or aircraft category.
