Navigating conflicts and challenges in aviation

The aviation industry, due to its complexity and involvement of diverse stakeholders, is especially susceptible to conflict. These conflicts can be categorised into three main domains:
Operational conflicts such as arise from day-to-day activities — scheduling, maintenance, and air traffic control, and, including interpersonal disputes among crew members or between staff and passengers.
Another is Organisational conflicts: these stem from internal issues like management-labour relations, policy disagreements, or resource allocation and, may involve unions, regulatory compliance, or interdepartmental friction.
External conflicts involve broader geopolitical or legal disputes, such as international airspace rights or environmental regulations. It can also include competition between airlines or conflicts with local communities over airport operations.
These conflicts highlight the need for effective communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution strategies across all levels of the aviation sector.
Aviation safety has always been a top priority, but the industry faces numerous challenges that can compromise the safety of passengers and crew. Conflicts and challenges in aviation that have implications for safety can arise from various factors, including human error, technical issues, weather conditions, communication breakdowns, and regulatory issues.
Human error is a significant contributor to safety conflicts in aviation. Pilot mistakes, such as incorrect navigation or failure to follow procedures, can lead to accidents. Air traffic control errors, like miscommunication or incorrect clearance, can also have catastrophic consequences. The industry has implemented various measures to mitigate human error, including crew resource management training and standardized operating procedures.
Technical issues, such as mechanical failures or system malfunctions, can also compromise safety. Aging aircraft, inadequate maintenance, and faulty equipment can all contribute to safety conflicts. Airlines and manufacturers must prioritize maintenance and inspection schedules to minimize the risk of technical failures.
Adverse weather conditions, like thunderstorms, icing, or turbulence, can create safety hazards. Pilots must be trained to navigate these conditions, and airlines must have policies in place for weather-related safety protocols.
Miscommunication between pilots, air traffic control, or maintenance personnel can lead to safety conflicts. Clear and concise communication is essential to ensure that all parties are aware of potential safety risks.
To mitigate safety conflicts, the aviation industry emphasizes robust safety protocols, regular training, and proficiency checks. Effective communication, continuous monitoring, and improvement of safety procedures are also crucial.
“Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In” by Roger Fisher and William Ury offers a transformative approach to conflict resolution. The book’s core principle is to negotiate based on the merits of the issue, rather than haggling or making concessions. This method, known as principled negotiation, emphasizes collaboration and mutual gain.
The authors propose four key elements, namely, separate the people from the problem: Distinguish between the issue at hand and the individuals involved, avoiding personal attacks and emotional entanglements. Another is, focus on interests, not positions: Understand the underlying needs, desires, and concerns that drive each party’s position, rather than fixating on specific demands. Then, generate options for mutual gain: Collaborate to create innovative solutions that benefit all parties, expanding the pie rather than dividing a fixed resource. Finally, it says, insist on objective criteria: Use independent standards, such as market value or expert opinion, to guide decision-making and ensure fairness.
By applying these principles, parties can shift from adversarial bargaining to collaborative problem-solving, achieving more effective and sustainable agreements. This approach has been widely adopted in various fields, from business and law to international diplomacy and personal relationships.
Conflicts in aviation span a wide spectrum — from personal spats to intricate cross‑border disputes — because the sector’s stakeholders are many and its reach is global. Successfully navigating these tensions requires foresight, regular training, unambiguous communication, and robust dispute‑resolution frameworks. Given that safety is the industry’s top priority, resolving disagreements isn’t merely an operational concern; it directly impacts human lives. As air travel expands and transforms, the methods used to anticipate, manage, and settle conflicts must evolve alongside it.

EKELEM AIRHIHEN

Ekelem Airhihen, an accredited mediator, has an MBA from the Lagos Business School. He is a member, ACI Airport Non-aeronautical Revenue Activities Committee; his interests are in market research, customer experience and performance measurement, negotiation, strategy and data and business analytics. He can be reached on ekyair@yahoo.com and +2348023125396 (WhatsApp only).