EUROCONTROL Headquarters  |  Rue de la Fusée 96, 1130 Brussels Belgium  

Humans are the foundation of resilience in aviation, constantly adapting to the pressures of an increasingly complex industry. As these pressures grow, so does the need for resilience in the aviation system. The volume of civil aviation operations is expected to double within the next 20 years, and with this growth will come with technological advancements, innovative operations, and new entrants, all contributing to an evolving and more complex landscape. Additionally, aviation's core objectives — safety, sustainability, and economic viability — are becoming increasingly interconnected, intensifying the complexity of the challenges the industry faces.

This growing complexity compels us to ask: How can the aviation industry continue to preserve and enhance the critical role of humans as the key to resilience?

The 12th Safety Forum is scheduled for June 5–6, 2025, at EUROCONTROL headquarters in Brussels. The Forum is organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with EUROCONTROL and the European Regions Airline Association. The theme of the 2025 Safety Forum is “People in the Centre of Aviation Safety”. The Forum will take a holistic and proactive approach to examining mental health, well-being, fatigue, and workload management as essential factors in maintaining resilience within aviation.

Safe flight operations depend on people having not only the external physical resources to do their work, but also the internal mental resources that are crucial for success. These mental resources support problem detection, situation assessment, planning, decision making, coordination, and adaptation. Factors that negatively affect the mental health and well-being of front-line operators can drain or restrict the availability of essential mental resources, hindering the ability of individuals to perform critical tasks. Mental performance mediators such as fatigue and workload can similarly and adversely affect performance.

Resilience in the face of increasing complexity and shifting demands depends largely on preparedness and the ability to maintain sufficient physical and mental resource margins.

Organizational philosophies, policies, procedures, and practices significantly influence these resources, sometimes in unintended ways. These ways may not be recognized until a tragedy or near-tragedy occurs. As the industry moves forward, it is essential to support and strengthen the human element that ensures safety and operational resilience.