Forests, which cover one-third of the world’s land area, are of critical importance for living life by providing many vital benefits such as maintaining ecological balance, protecting biodiversity and carbon emissions. Forests are of great value to the whole world due to universal problems such as global warming and climate change. For this reason, the protection of forests, beyond being a national issue, has become the subject of many international agreements such as the Rio Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. Despite this global sensitivity towards the protection of forests, the biggest problem that threatens the sustainability of forest areas both around the world and in Turkey is forest fires. The destructive power of forest fires has serious consequences, causing loss of life and property, as well as damage to the forest ecosystem. For this reason, it is important for the state to prepare an effective combat organization to combat forest fires, that is, for the forest administration to be prepared for fires by taking the necessary precautions before the fire occurs, to minimize the damage caused by fires. In this study, an investigation is carried out on the selection of firefighting aircraft types, which are of critical importance in combating forest and non-forest fires. The aim of the study is to determine the most suitable aircraft type in the event that the General Directorate of Forestry decides to expand its existing fleet. For this purpose, a selection is made among three alternative aircraft based on eleven evaluation criteria by using the SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methods, integrated with Fermatean fuzzy sets derived from three-dimensional fuzzy set extensions. According to the findings, Beriev Be-200 type aircraft is determined as the most suitable option.
This study examines the challenges and professional experiences of female employees working in ground handling services, one of the most operationally intensive sectors of the aviation industry, from a gender perspective through a qualitative approach. Ground handling activities involve high-stress operational conditions requiring flexible work schedules, time pressure, and physical stamina. While these characteristics have long led to the perception of the sector as a male-dominated field, the visibility of women in this field has been increasing in recent years. However, gender-based professional perceptions and structural barriers cause female employees to face difficulties in the recruitment and career advancement processes. This study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach, and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with eight female employees working in various positions at Ankara Esenboğa Airport. The data obtained were analyzed using the thematic analysis method developed by Braun and Clarke (2006). The analysis revealed eight main themes: physical challenges and working conditions, continued accessibility outside of work, social and legal rights for women, career development and women's representation, institutional policies and social support practices, psychological and emotional impacts, gender-based inequalities, and coping strategies. The findings reveal that female employees face a variety of physical and emotional challenges. Furthermore, gender-based barriers to work-life balance, career advancement, and authority relations are noteworthy. The study demonstrates the strategic necessity of developing policies to promote gender equality in the sector, strengthening institutional support mechanisms, and providing equal career opportunities.
The aviation industry has high safety standards with strict international and domestic regulations, but it's not always possible to prevent every accident. In investigations conducted to determine the causes of accidents and prevent similar incidents from recurring, flight recorders (commonly known as black boxes) play a fundamental role. These devices record important flight data and cockpit conversations, providing critical information for accident investigations. However, traditional flight recorders rely on the physical recovery of data, as stipulated in Annex 13 of the ICAO Chicago Convention. This may lead to delays in the data recovery process, especially in accidents that occur in hard-to-reach areas. Technological developments in aviation in recent years have made it potentially possible to transfer flight data to ground stations in real time via satellite or to store it in remotely accessible systems. These innovations significantly reduce the need for physical data recovery after an accident and promise faster and more efficient accident investigation processes. However, these technologies also raise numerous new issues, including data protection, privacy, jurisdictional conflicts, and legal liability. This article examines the compatibility of international aviation law, particularly the existing regulations outlined in Annex 13, with these technological innovations and offers recommendations to address potential incompatibilities.
The aviation industry imposes significant pressure on employees’ work–life balance due to its intense workload, irregular shift schedules, and service structure that requires a high level of emotional labor. In particular, female flight attendants face the challenge of simultaneously managing both work and private life roles, making the impact of this balance on their work-related perceptions an increasingly important area of research. This study aims to examine the mediating role of psychological capital in the effect of work–life balance on work engagement. Data were collected through an online survey administered to 103 female flight attendants employed by an airline operating in Türkiye. Reliability analyses, correlation tests, regression analyses, and PROCESS mediation tests were conducted. The findings indicate that work–life balance has a positive and significant effect on both work engagement and psychological capital. However, psychological capital was not found to have a significant effect on work engagement, and its mediating role was not supported. These results suggest that flight attendants’ work engagement is shaped more by organizational arrangements and working conditions than by individual psychological resources. The study highlights the importance of implementing practices that strengthen female employees’ work–life balance and offers both theoretical and practical contributions to aviation management.
The aim of this research is to analyze the status of artificial intelligence applications in the aviation sector from the perspective of pilots. The research utilized interview technique, a qualitative research method. Interview questions were prepared based on the literature and adapted for the study. A semi-structured interview form was used as the data collection tool. 28 pilots were included in the study using a convenient sampling method. The research included five demographic questions (gender, age, education, role in the aviation sector, and experience in the aviation sector) and 11 interview questions posed to the participating pilots. The data were analyzed using the MAXQDA 2022 qualitative analysis program. The data were transferred to the program, and themes and codes were created using content analysis. Content analysis was performed through patterns and code frequencies. According to the findings, while most participating pilots view artificial intelligence as a useful and convenient technology, they also believe it requires caution, should be used in a controlled manner, is important for decision support, and is a determinant of the future. While most pilots believe that artificial intelligence should be used in the aviation sector, some believe it should be used in specific areas. It appears that most pilots believe they will not have difficulty adapting to artificial intelligence. Pilots believe that it offers benefits such as reduced workload, access to information, planning, cost and time savings, reduced human error, increased safety, faster and more accurate decision-making, support, fuel savings, accurate and rapid flight and aircraft planning. However, they also believe that it can have negative effects such as dulling skills and leading to complacency, reduced employment and workforce, the inability to control artificial intelligence, and expecting everything from AI.
Air traffic controllers are considered a critical research group for burnout because they are exposed to working conditions characterized by high risk and intense stress. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationships between the core symptoms and the secondary symptoms of burnout using the multidimensional Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), and to determine whether burnout, its symptoms, and their subdimensions differed according to demographic variables. Data for the study were collected via an online survey from 355 air traffic controllers employed in various air traffic control units in Türkiye. The findings indicated that overall burnout levels were low; however, moderate levels were observed in the exhaustion dimension. No significant differences in overall burnout were found according to gender and experience, although significant differences were detected in certain subdimensions. It was found via regression analyses that the core symptoms positively and significantly predicted the secondary symptoms. In the multiple regression analysis, exhaustion and emotional impairment were found to significantly predict psychological complaints and psychosomatic complaints.
Hurşit Deniz Özerdoğan, Tamer Savaş, Uğur Özdemir, Yunus Emre Esen
In the aviation industry, where human factors play a central role, pilot training constitutes a critical process for ensuring flight safety and operational competence. Flight simulators are increasingly being used in pilot training as a complementary or alternative component to conventional in aircraft. Simulator based training provides a safer and more cost-effective learning environment compared to real flight operations, particularly in abnormal situations, crisis management, and decision-making scenarios. This study aims to evaluate the role of flight simulators in the pilot training process from the perspectives of flight safety and cost-effectiveness. Within the scope of the study, national and international academic literature as well as regulatory documents were reviewed, and the effects of simulator-based training on pilot education were analyzed using a qualitative approach. During the analysis, the safety related benefits and economic advantages of simulator use were examined from a holistic perspective, while limiting factors such as equipment costs, technological infrastructure requirements, and regulatory compliance were also discussed. The findings indicate that simulator-based training reduces the need for real flight operations, thereby providing significant cost advantages in terms of fuel, maintenance, and operational expenses.
