Across industry gatherings and forums, the air transport industry showcases its depth of technical rigour, with impressive advances in aircraft engineering, predictive analytics, airspace monitoring, and safety system protocols. Panels on turbulence, accident investigation, AI-enabled forecasting, and human error analysis makes it clear: the industry is constantly innovating to minimise risk.
Yet, alongside these advancements, there remains a quieter challenge: the mental health and fatigue risks affecting aviation professionals. While these issues have been increasingly acknowledged in industry conversations and resources, we believe their visibility could still be further emphasized.
The industry’s commitment to continuous improvement is undeniable. From incident reporting visualization to data-driven fatigue studies, to human factors training, there’s growing recognition that people are a critical variable in safety performance.
We particularly commend the shift toward storytelling in safety culture, on long-term injury recovery and the thoughtful use of predictive tools to identify operational risk patterns. These initiatives illustrate a maturing understanding that safety isn’t only about systems, it’s about human capacity, clarity, and resilience.
Our work across high-pressure industries suggest that untreated or unsupported mental health conditions are not isolated well-being issues. They are safety risks. Disclosure is often discouraged due to fear of grounding, stigma, or lack of structured support. Yet failing to address this openly may contribute to burnout, presenteeism, reduced cognitive performance, and in tragic cases, self-harm or suicide.
At the IATA World Safety and Operations Conference, we spoke with leaders who acknowledged the increasing complexity of psychosocial hazards in aviation but also expressed uncertainty about how to address them. This is a call for collective courage and capability.
In our work, we apply the SAFE™ Pillars Framework, a systemized model that helps organisations assess and build psychologically safe workplaces by focusing on:
These are not just wellbeing questions; they are risk management questions. Especially in high-consequence industries like aviation.
The aviation industry has always been defined by its high standards, data-driven systems, and continuous learning culture. The same rigour must now be applied to the human experience of safety, including the invisible hazards of mental distress, chronic fatigue, and emotional overload.
By embedding mental health strategies into Safety Management Systems (SMS) and aligning them with Quality Management System (QMS) practices, we can build cultures where it is safe to speak up about these issues.
Let’s ensure every flight not only meets mechanical checklists, but also supports the mental readiness of the crew, ground staff, and leadership teams who make aviation possible.
Author: Mabble Munyimani, Founder and Director, MM Complete Wellbeing Global
*Find out more about MM Complete Wellbeing Global's engagement in the IATA's Strategic Partnerships Program on the partners directory.
