From Awareness to Action: Mapping Emotional Intelligence to Pilot Performance and Policy Reform in Aviation Mental Health

Abstract

This study investigates two guiding questions: (1) Is there a gap between pilots’ mental health needs and their engagement with available institutional resources? (2) How can a focus on emotional intelligence inform educational and policy interventions in aviation?Researchers conducted a global survey of commercial pilots and air traffic controllers, which revealed minimal engagement with available support systems due to stigma and fear of career repercussions. Using Goleman’s five-component EI model, we examined international pilot competency frameworks and mapped observable pilot behaviors (OBs) to self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, identifying specific emotional competencies essential for adaptive performance in aviation. Results highlight the need for a systems-level redesign of aviation training and regulation that embeds emotional intelligence and resilience into human performance metrics and organizational culture.

Keywords: Emotional intelligence, mental health, policy reform, human factors

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006991