Ethics in Aviation

 “To err is human” (Alexander Pope), unfortunately, this saying is always in effect, even in the aviation industry. This is why it is important to understand what the human factor is and its role in aviation. The human factor takes into account that we humans are affected by external and internal stressors like fatigue or sadness (PHAK). These stressors cause us to make mistakes, lose focus, it diminishes our attention to detail. Even without these stressors, humans are prone to make mistakes. In simpler terms, the human factor is the understanding that any process that requires human involvement is subject to imperfections (Kozuba). In aviation, imperfections can lead to accidents and human endangerment, for example, in the aircraft service of refueling there are a few things that could go wrong like a fire or a fuel spill. If another vehicle were to drive too close while the plane is being refueled the exhaust could cause a fire, or if someone leaves a cell phone in their pocket ...

One of the security threats that are present in the aviation industry is an insider threat. This is a threat that is a little bit harder to catch at times. It can be hard to believe that someone that you work with every day could end up being a threat. Insider threats do not just include employees, it could also be ex-employee or a contractor that does temporary work at the airport. An insider threat basically means someone who has in-depth knowledge of a place and its processes, and they are now working against whatever business.  The first layer of security put into place that relates to this threat is crew vetting. As in any job, they check the qualifications of an individual to see that they are a good candidate for the job, but after that, they still must do a more in-depth background check to ensure each employee has nothing in their past that might cause them to be a threat at any point. One of the other layers of security that helps to counteract an insider threat is that t...