SENASA
Servicios y Estudios para la Navegación Aérea y la Seguridad Aeronáutica S.M.E. M.P. S.A.
     Facebook SENASA Twitter SENASA LinkedIn SENASA bluesky SENASA

AVIATION PSYCHOLOGY, A CRITICAL FACTOR TO AERONAUTICAL SECURITY

Madrid, October 10th, 2024

 

World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on October 10th in more than 100 countries with the aim of raising awareness of this issue and mobilising efforts to diagnose and address mental illness. In this context, SENASA and the Spanish Association of Aviation Psychology (AEPA) join forces to highlight the importance of the role of Aviation Psychology in a sector in which professionals work with an added burden of stress and pressure, and whose approach has a direct impact on safety.

 

To discuss the evolution and the current panorama of mental health in aviation and the role of aeronautical psychology, Adela González, Dr. in Psychology and President of AEPA, Francisco Vergara, Director of Air Navigation and Operations at SENASA and Toni Bonilla, Head of Studies at SENASA's School of Air Traffic Control, have met.

 

During this meeting, both institutions highlighted the beneficial effects of intervention in the mental health of professionals in the aviation sector and their well-being, not only in aviation operations, but also in the health of society in general. Managing everything related to Human Factors, which cause 70-80 % of accidents, and thus preventing compromised safety situations, requires aviation psychology professionals to be well prepared and trained with specific tools in their field so that they can carry out their work with the best possible preparation.

 

Spain is one of the few European countries with specific accreditation in Aviation Psychology”, emphasises Adela González, who points out the need for a regulation that grants a permanent position to the aeronautical psychology professional in the monitoring and continuous evaluation, and not only at the beginning, of the different aeronautical professions, whether in the area of piloting, air traffic control or maintenance.

 

AEPA arose from the need to foster and promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and studies in the field of Aviation Psychology and Human Factors, in order to enhance and optimise the operational safety and health of the people involved in the aeronautical environment. With 25 years of experience, AEPA is today a reference association made up of professionals in aeronautical psychology who work with different institutions and companies in the sector.

 

For specific training in this field, AEPA has specialised courses for workers of aviation industry, airports, airlines, flight schools and universities, among others. Registration is currently open for the fourth edition of the Expert Course in Aerospace Psychology, with 600 hours of theoretical and practical training, supported by the General Council of Psychology of Spain, accredited by EAAP (European Association of Aviation Psychology) and carried out in collaboration with the College of Psychology of the Valencian Community. More information here.

 

Although the implementation of psychology in the aviation sector has made great strides in recent years, SENASA insists on the importance of training in this field and the value of the approach and intervention in Aviation Psychology and Human Factors as key elements, not only in the health of aeronautical professionals but also as a decisive component in the safety of air operations, both in flight and on ground.

 

Promoting responsibility, commitment and empathy with the care of aviation personnel is key. It is increasingly demanded by companies and also at institutional level, where AEPA has collaborated with the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) for the creation of validation guides, as well as with CIAIAC for training on accident investigation.

 

In order for aviation psychology to be better established in the future, a cultural change and the development of regulations will be necessary to support its professionalisation throughout the entire process of accompanying professionals in the aeronautical sector, from their training to the different stages of their professional career, always with a focus on aviation safety.

 

Return to current affairs

 

Trainair Plus
SERVICIOS Y ESTUDIOS PARA LA NAVEGACIÓN AÉREA Y LA SEGURIDAD AERONÁUTICA S.M.E. M.P. S.A.
REGISTRO MERCANTIL: TOMO 838, FOLIO 121, HOJA 16835. C.I.F.: A-79818423