Seven Essential Principles of Aviation Safety Leadership Survey

Safety isn’t sustained by systems alone; it’s led by people. The Foundation has released the “Seven Essential Principles of Aviation Safety Leadership,” a concise, practical blueprint drawn from eight decades of experience and research and is inviting the global aviation community — front-line professionals, supervisors, managers, executives, and boards — to engage. We want to hear from you about how these principles are working in your organizations.

The seven principles we’ll explore are #1 Lead with Commitment; #2 Build a Trusted Culture; #3 Govern for Accountability; #4 Embed Safety Into Strategy; #5 Anticipate and Prevent; #6 Learn and Improve; and #7 Engage and Empower.

Together, we can turn shared principles into everyday practice and continue raising the bar for aviation safety.

For each principle, please select the option that best describes your organization.

Principle #1: Demonstrate Unwavering Leadership Commitment to Safety

Commitment shows up in choices. When deadlines or costs tighten, which option best describes your organization’s leadership stance on safety?(Required.)

Leads — Trade-offs are rare; risk-assessed, and documented

Mostly leads — Trade-offs are regular; risk assessed and documented

Split — Trade-offs are regular; uneven risk assessment and documentation

Often yields — Trade-offs are frequent; ad hoc and undocumented

Principle #2: Foster a Positive Safety Culture Built on Trust and Transparency

Speak-up cultures prevent accidents. How safe is it to raise concerns where you work? Select the option that best describes the reporting culture in your organization.(Required.)

Safe to report + timely feedback; reporting is encouraged, actions and feedback are routine

Safe to report + occasional feedback; reporting is usually encouraged; follow-up is inconsistent)

Mixed safety + limited feedback; depends on the issue/person; little visible action

Risky to report + little/no feedback; fear of blame/retribution, follow-up rarely seen)

Principle #3: Ensure Clear Accountability and Governance for Safety

Accountability clarifies “who owns what.” How well are safety roles and expectations defined and understood in your organization?(Required.)

Crystal clear at all levels

Clear for managers; mixed elsewhere

Partly defined/inconsistent

Unclear

Principle #4: Integrate Safety Into Corporate Strategy and Planning

If everything is a priority, safety isn’t. How often is safety explicitly considered in major decisions in your organization?(Required.)

Principle #5: Promote Proactive Risk Management and Accident Prevention

Being proactive means hunting for weak signals before they roar. Which option best describes the approach where you work?(Required.)

Predictive and data-driven

Mostly proactive, some reactive

Compliance-oriented/reactive

Unclear/inconsistent

Principle #6: Drive Continuous Improvement and Learning in Safety Performance

How strong is your organization’s continuous learning, even when things go right? Select the option that best describes your organization.(Required.)

Very strong

Strong

Developing

Weak

Principle #7: Communicate, Engage, and Empower at All Levels

People can’t follow a vision they don’t understand or witness. How well is the safety vision understood and acted on in your organization?

Clear and applied

Known but inconsistently applied

Vague/rarely referenced

Unknown

Current Progress,

0 of 7 answered