With end of the year coming up, our team prepared an overview of top 5 Safety challenges in 2022 that were the main topics of numerous conferences that we have attended during the year.
Safety in aviation is in constant change and after attending various conferences this year (Arab Aviation Summit 2022, ALTA Conference, FAA-EASA International Safety Conference, EASA 360, IASS 2022) our team have selected the following most common five topics or challenges in 2022:
SAFETY CHALLENGE 5: Aviation Sustainability
Pressures on the aviation system to reduce its carbon footprint is having its impact on Safety. Pressures such as single engine taxi-out could affect the safety of operations, the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could contribute to an increase chance of flame out when used by uncertified or technically unfit aircraft, pressure to reduce the fuel reserves could lead to reduced safety margins or pressure to save fuel in flight could lead to increased risk of turbulence encounter or increased risk of loss of control events are all just one of the potential hazardous events that aviation Safety needs to consider.
SAFETY CHALLENGE 4: External Threats
Pandemics, military conflicts, cyber attacks. Aviation Safety is in uncharted territory. There is noticeable increase with cyber-attacks associated with the conflict with proposed mitigation strategies such as increasing awareness and strengthening IT security infrastructure and staff education. Another external Safety threat was an increased risk of airspace infringements by military drones or aircraft spilling over from conflict zones.
SAFETY CHALLENGE 3: Lack of skills
Next safety issue is lack of skills which is one of the consequences of furloughs due to pandemic. Challenge identified is to ensure knowledge transfer as a lot of talented and skillful staff switched industries during the pandemic. The following presented issue was reduced adherence to procedures in the new working environment and degradation in skills.
SAFETY CHALLENGE 2: Advanced Air Mobility
The world of advanced air mobility and autonomous operations is making progress in aviation. This world includes small drones, multi-rotor, fixed-wing and hybrids, single-rotor and maybe more. However, how to create efficient regulations and ensure safety of its operations is one of the hottest topics in aviation Safety.
SAFETY CHALLENGE 1: Mental Health
The topic of aviation personnel’s mental health has been one of the dominating aviation challenges. Likewise it has its impact on Safety. During COVID-19 pandemic this industry was heavily hit and a lot of pilots were left jobless. There was an increase in pilot depression and suicidal idealization during the pandemic. There was and still is a stigma on pilots and discrimination if pilots speak up about their mental health issues. This all poses a safety threat to operations and its one of the key challenges that the industry is trying to tackle.
