1.4 Blog Discussion: What Does Ethics in the Aviation Profession Mean to You?

Ethics is a critical part of aviation, yet it is also largely up to interpretation. Within a single day in aviation there are mechanics, pilots, flight attendants, schedulers, ATC and many other professions all working to get each flight completed safely and successfully. This requires that everyone trusts each other and has an understanding that each person has some level of ethics when it comes to completing their job. In a safety critical industry this is especially important. Putting safety first is sometimes easier said than done. Having to inform passengers and scheduling of the requirement to cancel or delay a flight is one of the hardest conversations to have on a day-to-day basis in the industry. As a decision like this is made it is impossible not to go down the path of thinking about all of the disruptions one decision causes and how it’ll trickle down to affect many other people. Many companies have safety promises, such as Westjet’s “Safety Above All” (2022) and these principles are key to having an ethical guiding value to fall back on when things don’t go to plan. This is especially important as companies are less likely to waver from a difficult decision due to external pressure when there is an ethical value guiding decisions. 

The more time you spend in aviation the more you seem to hear the term ‘professionalism’ used. While most careers require you to be professional I feel like aviation really embodies that term. The idea of an aviation professional comes with a certain image to uphold, but also an overarching understanding of the importance of ethics and safety. In my opinion, ethics in aviation can be summed up as “Professionalism in aviation is the pursuit of doing it right, all the time, even when nobody’s looking” (Wofford, 2018, as cited in NBAA, 2018). There are ample opportunities daily in aviation to cut corners, rush or skip steps which could all have safety implications. Having strong ethics would dictate that steps don’t get skipped regardless of time pressure or other pressure. To me, ethics in aviation means a deep understanding that safety must always be the priority and that it is always better to take a step back and check something over one more time, even if it results in some sort of delay. The aviation industry is unique in that every action has safety implications meaning that nothing can or should be overlooked.

References:

NBAA - National Business Aviation Association. (2018, May 7). Professionalism, ethical behavior leads to safe operations. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operations/safety/professionalism-in-business-aviation/professionalism-ethical-behavior-leads-safe-operations/ 

Westjet. (2022, January 13). Safety above all: Why westjet was named one of the safest airlines in the world. WestJet official site. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/news/2022/safety-above-all--why-westjet-was-named-one-of-the-safest-airlin