Violations towards personnel working in the Aviation Industry – Ask A Pilot

Looking at the Aviation Industry from the outside, it may look like a fun and exciting environment to work in. The Aviation Industry may even be associated with something as nice as travel, holidays and enjoyable experiences. For personnel working in the Aviation Industry, however, it might not always be as rosy as it seems from the outside.
Recently you could read about a male Chief Pilot in a major European airline who had abused his position and power. The Chief Pilot had allegedly selected several young female pilots to fly with him. When on duty with the female pilots he would apparently make advances of various kinds. After the violations were made public, the Chief Pilot was dismissed by the Airline, and it is our understanding that the case will have a legal aftermath.
Possibly only the tip of the iceberg?
Some relevant questions could be, how rare are violations in the Aviation Industry? Where and to whom do they happen? How often are violations not reported? What types of violations are happening? Does the violation constitute itself as sexual favours, discrimination based on sex, background or skin colour?
All of this is at the moment guesswork as we don’t think there is any up-to-date data out there. But it is probably not that strange that the information is not out there. Have a think. If the person subject to the violation has a lot at stake, how likely is it that the person will report it? To whom can the person report it?  Can it be reported without fear of consequences for the person being violated? For someone who is a newly trained pilot, it is not hard to imagine that some violations are untold. Maybe violations remain untold and unreported because of fear.
Collecting data
Without data, it all remains speculation. That is why we at Ask A Pilot have just launched a survey that focuses on potential violations within the Aviation Industry. In our survey, personnel working in the Aviation Industry including student pilots can (anonymously) share their stories. The stories can be about any type of abuse, discrimination or favouritism they have experienced or witnessed.
The responsibility to do something.
The main purpose of our survey is to investigate the Aviation Industry regarding violations towards Aviation Personnel. Is it for instance a widespread phenomenon that employers in the Aviation Industry practice nepotism? Are Aviation personnel regularly exposed to, sexual harassment, direct or indirect discrimination, and physical or psychological violence? If the answer is “YES” to any of these questions, it is in our view important that we create a discussion about it. For instance, it may be relevant to spread information about who you can talk to for support, if you are a victim of a violation and working in the Aviation Industry.
Survey about your personal experiences in the Aviation Industry
Our survey is open to anyone employed in the Aviation Industry including cabin crew, ground crew, office staff, engineers, Air Traffic Controllers etc. You are welcome to chip in even if you are a student pilot.
The survey can be completed in 1 minute with full confidentiality. If you would like to share your story and write a bit more, you can do that too. Please, help us to collect data by completing the survey here.
It would also be great if you are willing to share this post and the information about the survey among your friends and colleagues in the Aviation Industry.
Happy landings
Ask A Pilot