Perceptions of Just Culture Between Pilots and Managers: Evaluation of Airlines in the EU, Middle East, and Asia/Pacific Regions

Airline safety can be improved when errors and incidents by aircrew are openly reported and justly investigated. Trust and functioning of the reporting system are critical for the success of a just safety culture. In this study, interviews and surveys were used to investigate the similarities and/or differences in perceptions of pilots and managers within several airlines about perceived just culture. Results indicate that decisions about culpability, the line between acceptable an unacceptable behaviour, and the result of introducing more consequences are perceived differently by pilots and managers.