( CNN ) -- Last year was the safest in aviation history for passengers flying on Western-built jets , an international aviation trade group said Wednesday . The 2010 global accident rate was 0.61 per million flights , a rate equating to one accident for every 1.6 million flights , according to the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) . That is just below the previous historic low rate of 0.65 rate in 2006 , and a `` significant improvement '' over the rate of 0.71 recorded in 2009 . There were 17 plane accidents -- or hull losses , in the lingo of the business -- involving Western-built jet aircraft in 2010 , compared to 19 the previous year . A hull loss is an accident in which a plane is destroyed or damaged beyond repair . There were 786 fatalities in passenger aircraft compared to 685 in 2009 , IATA said . As in the past , there were significant regional differences in the accident rates , with North America having relatively low rates and Africa having the worst rate . While Africa 's hull loss rate was 7.41 -- four Western-built planes crashed in Africa -- it was lower than the 2009 rate of 9.94 . IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said African systems must improve . `` Flying must be equally safe in all parts of the world , '' Bisignani said . `` An accident rate in Africa that is over 12 times the global average is not acceptable . '' He said African carriers should make use of an IATA audit system to improve safety . Runway excursions -- instances when a plane leaves the runway during take-offs or landings -- accounted for 21 percent of the worldwide accidents , IATA said , saying the number has dropped because of attention to the problem . Some of the accidents occur when planes land on wet runways ; others when the aircraft approaches too fast , too high or touches down beyond the desired spot on the runway . IATA said it is working with the industry and regulators to address the issue . IATA said 2010 had the following results : . 2.4 billion people flew safely on 36.8 million flights . 94 accidents for all types of aircraft -- Eastern and Western built -- compared to 90 in 2009 . 23 fatal accidents for all passenger aircraft types , compared to 18 in 2009 . IATA represents some 230 airlines comprising 93 percent of scheduled international air traffic .
2010 : 17 accidents on such airplanes . China has the worst accident . Industry group leader calls for improvement .