Cast your mind back to the morning of Monday August 28th, 2023. What started as a normal Bank Holiday morning in UK aviation, unravelled into complete disarray within a reported 20 seconds. Thousands of flights cancelled, holidaymakers stranded, hotels overrun, and for the first time a lack of trust in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) system. The problem? A technical glitch that led the entire automated system, and its backup, to shut down. While such occurrences are mercifully rare (1 in 15,000,000 according to Airport Technology magazine), this incident illustrated just how important it is to build airport system resilience into aviation systems. More recently, we’ve just seen what’s being described as the largest global IT outage in history, causing major disruption across across airports and most industries worldwide.

Why is airport system resilience so important in aviation? 

Unforeseen events can and will occur and while aviation systems and processes are designed to minimise risk as far as possible, it’s impossible to completely rule out the unexpected. If elimination is impossible then the next step must be to focus on building resilience and ensuring there are robust backup plans to deal with every eventuality. 

Five ways to build resilience in aviation

Here are five ways to build resilience and mitigate risk in the aviation industry.

1. Develop, review and update emergency response plans

    There will no doubt already be a set of risk assessments in place to cover a range of scenarios, actively planning for and managing risk is vital to ensure safety for passengers, crew and ground staff, after all. In addition to this, consider scenario-based planning and preparedness that covers the widest range of scenarios – from geopolitical events to extreme weather and pandemics – and ensure these are updated every time there’s new learning in the industry.

    At AIRDAT, we offer an Aviation Risk Management and Audit Consultancy service.

    Get in touch to learn more.

    2. Prioritise learning

      Not only is training mandated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) but it’s imperative for an industry that is constantly evolving and advancing. Far from a one-time event, training and learning  must be viewed as an ongoing commitment. Training can better equip employees to deal with emergency scenarios and regular drills can improve their ability to effectively deal with crises.

      At AIRDAT, our Passport Airport Safety Systems allows you to control all airport stakeholder training, auditing, and compliance in one cloud-based, flexible and integrative system. Create e-learning courses, book in-house training and integrate local training companies in one easy-to-use system.

      3. Communicate clearly

        Safety in aviation relies on all relevant stakeholders (ATC, airlines, emergency services, external contractors…) being on the same page. Collaboration then is vital. Information should be clear, accurate and transparent with well-defined channels for sharing learnings and information. Ensure that external systems seamlessly integrate for better collaboration.

        AIRDAT’s Passport system consolidates and digitises multiple systems to ensure all training compliance data is accessible from one place. More than that, it integrates seamlessly with other systems and is available in app form so staff can access relevant data from a smartphone or tablet.

        4. Backup, backup, backup

          Data is a vital part of airport operations. A robust backup system ensures that critical data is not lost in the event of any sort of crash. This minimises disruption and risk and will have things back up and running again as quickly as possible after an incident – crucial for meeting customer expectations and minimising financial losses.

          AIRDAT’s Passport system could help you to incorporate training data – including in-house, eLearning and third party training – for your entire operation. Get in touch with a member of the team to learn more.

          5. Foster a culture of progress 

            Work on building a company culture of continuous improvement. Analyse industry-wide events and where there’s a lesson to be learned, put corrective measures in place to prevent it happening again. Encourage team members to problem solve and adapt to promote a resilience mindset.

            The final word

            While it’s impossible to accurately predict every incident that may occur in aviation, it is possible to lessen any negative effects by planning ahead, sharing learning and ensuring staff are fully trained and in receipt of the best knowledge.

            For more information or to ensure your airport is in the best position for future incidents, get in touch with a member of the AIRDAT team today.