Though we often think of modern civil aviation as driven by automation, human personnel continue to play significant roles in almost every aspect, including security. Indeed, civilian commercial flights have become inextricably associated with tight human-driven security at every step of a typical air passenger’s journey.
Flight crews, in particular, perform security functions that go beyond their visible duties of operating aircraft and serving passengers. Over the whole history of civil aviation, these security duties have evolved into a complicated web of standard procedures that are taught as a necessary part of flight school curriculums. All pilots, attendants, and other flight crew members now play key roles in ensuring the well-being of passengers, helping create the remarkable safety record of civil aviation in the present day.
Unless you know what to look out for, these roles may escape your notice on regular commercial flights. The security roles of flight crews are generally far less visible compared to those of security personnel at airports, largely because of the need to maintain a pleasant environment onboard commercial aircraft. Let’s examine the specific roles that civilian flight crews have in keeping aircraft and passengers secure:
1. Safety Demonstrations
From a passenger’s perspective, these demonstrations are the most visible way that flight crews ensure passenger security. Before takeoff, flight attendants conduct safety briefings, instructing passengers on emergency exits, seatbelt use, and oxygen masks, all of which are crucial for preparedness during emergencies. These briefings also establish flight attendants as authority figures early on, helping ensure that passengers follow flight crews’ instructions in case of emergency.
2. Monitoring Compliance
Flight crews also make sure that passengers follow safety protocols, including wearing seatbelts and stowing carry-on luggage properly. Getting passengers to follow these protocols is important for mitigating risks during flight, but it also serves to reinforce passenger compliance should the flight encounter more serious issues later on.
3. Conflict Resolution
With global passenger numbers expected to hit five billion by the end of 2024, it’s inevitable that flight crews will eventually encounter some passengers in agitated or less-compliant states. Unfortunately, unruly passengers have proven to be risks, with some even endangering the safety of other passengers and the flight crew.
Today, all flight crews who can be expected to interact with passengers are trained to effectively de-escalate conflicts, preventing potential security threats from forming. Deescalation through conflict resolution rather than force is an essential tool for flight crews, given the impracticality and added danger of utilizing weapons or situating law enforcement personnel on all civilian flights.
4. Security Surveillance
In most civilian flights, flight attendants act as a first line of defense against security risks by monitoring cabin activity for any suspicious behavior. If they spot any behavior that could imperil the safety of the passengers, they can issue friendly warnings or quietly communicate the problem to the pilots who can then relay the matter to authorities on the ground
5. Communication with Pilots
It’s not enough for flight crews to simply tell the pilots of issues they may encounter. They must be able to communicate these issues in a way that removes all ambiguity, leaving little doubt of the actual situation. Furthermore, flight crews must also do so in a way to prevent panic among passengers. Effective communication between flight crews and pilots makes it significantly easier to coordinate responses to in-flight emergencies and maintain overall safety.
6. Emergency Response
Flight attendants undergo rigorous training in handling emergencies, including evacuations, medical crises, and security threats. In each case, flight crews are trained to prioritize efficiency to better mitigate risks.
Medical emergencies tend to be among the most common in flights so all flight crews are trained in first aid. Properly trained crews can provide sufficient care in most cases to keep stricken passengers safe until professional medical help can be obtained. They’re also taught to engage with medical professionals who may already be on board to enlist their aid in case of in-flight emergencies.
7. Self-Defense Training
With more people flying than ever before, some regions have seen upticks of incidents with unruly passengers who may not be used to the expected norms of commercial flights. A growing number of flight attendants are now trained in self-defense techniques to empower them to handle unruly passengers effectively, should standard conflict resolution prove insufficient. Though self-defense training is not universal for civilian flight crews, more flight schools and airlines are now offering it, given the continued rise in incidents involving dangerous passengers.
8. Health Crisis Management
During health crises, flight crews are mandated to enforce health protocols to protect passengers and crew. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this role was fully visible, with flight crews enforcing masking and sanitation measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Even during less fraught times, flight crews still play a role in public health by monitoring passengers for any obvious signs of illness.
Safety in the Air: The Crucial Security Contributions of Flight Crews
Flight crews’ often-hidden security roles form a crucial component of the civilian aviation industry’s safety framework. Though most air passengers only get to interact with flight crews in a customer service context, everyone can rest assured that these professionals have extensive training that makes them indispensable in creating the safe air travel experience we’ve all become accustomed to.
