Propelling Forward in Cabin Safety: Compliance and Collaboration in Cabin Safety

Key Takeaways

• Regulators are partners, not enforcers: "We're not here to crack a whip. We're all working together for cabin safety."
• Early engagement prevents delays: Submission turnaround time directly relates to quality of material submitted
• Non-compliance with turbulence procedures remains the top finding: Flying missiles and complacency pose serious injury risks
• Training isn't box-ticking: "Training is a huge opportunity to mould a safe operation."
• Root cause analysis must go deeper: Superficial answers like "human error" get rejected.

 

The Human Side of Regulation

Lorraine Gibney, Ireland's Cabin Operations Inspector with the Irish Aviation Authority, opened her EATS 2025 presentation by questioning whether a National Authority belonged at an industry event. Her conclusion? Absolutely.

"The regulator is not that Sheriff that was shown this morning," she emphasized. "We're not here to crack a whip or try to have you comply with whatever we say. We're all working together for cabin safety."

As the only inspector responsible for all Irish AOC cabin operations, cabin crew training, and CCTOs, Gibney oversees a diverse portfolio. Her message: regulators are human beings willing to "support, guide and grow with you to ensure cabin safety."

The Five-Step Journey to Approval

Gibney outlined Ireland's collaborative approach to implementing changes—a stark contrast to submissions landing unexpectedly on inspectors' desks.

Step 1: Understand the Regulation

"What are you trying to change, and what part of the regulation does that affect?" Gibney asks operators. She pushes them to review not just regulations but Acceptable Means of Compliance and guidance materials.

Step 2: Conduct Due Diligence

Armed with regulatory knowledge, operators must analyze their specific context. "It is your organization. I'm here to support and guide you, but ultimately, it's your organization."

This analysis includes gap analysis, risk assessment, and management of change documentation: "Does this deliver an equivalent or better level of safety? Have you conducted a risk assessment around all the hazards for your cabin crew?"

Step 3: Communication ("The Little Dance")

Communication is where Gibney's approach truly differentiates from traditional enforcement.

"SAS Connect's Anna will call and say, 'Hey, Lorraine, this is what we want. But I'm not quite sure if we're a bit left of center, what do we need to do?' And then the little dance starts."

The honesty flows both ways. An operator might admit: "Gosh, Lorraine, I actually never thought of that." Equally, Gibney herself, learns: "An operator may say 'No, Lorraine, that's not how we read it.' I'd say, 'Tell me more. How are you supporting that?"

Critical insight: "Collaboration starts at home in your organization." Gibney sees too much "stove piping" where one department submits changes that others don't know about. "The turnaround time of a submission is directly related to the quality of the submission."

Step 4: Formal Submission

Only after the collaborative dance should submissions arrive to the Authority. When steps 1-3 are followed, "turnaround time is pretty quick, because we've gone through everything that needs to be explored, reviewed, amended, and tweaked."

Step 5: Oversight

"That's back to us as the regulator," Gibney acknowledged. But even here, the approach remains supportive: "I'm here to check that everything operates in accordance with your approved procedures. Just do what you do every single day – follow your procedures."

Common Cabin Inspection Findings

Gibney shared the most frequent findings from 2024-25 inspections.

Turbulence: The Top Issue

"Turbulence is something I've been highlighting as a key risk area in cabin safety for the last five years," Gibney stated. Complacency and inadequate procedures preceded several serious injury events.

Common violations: "Hot pots left on galley tops, glass bottles of wine, trays of snacks. All of these are flying missiles."

When the crew claims items are secured, Gibney peels back the risk: "If that bottle goes in turbulence, it takes your eye out. How are you going to manage a fume event, a fire, an evacuation if you're out of action?"

Cabin and Galley Security

Issues range from dangerous baggage placement—"big bags underneath the seat with the passenger's leg on either side, and that's an aisle seat"—to improper cart storage creating unsafe gaps.

Flight Deck Door Complacency

"We've seen huge complacency, and cabin crew are always trying to be efficient. Let's get cups of tea and coffee in and keep the door open. Mary is passing to and from, and somebody in row one or two is seeing this happen."

Flight deck door procedures, particularly during physiological events, aren't consistently followed.

Equipment and Documentation

Equipment not serviceable, stickers illegible, service dates unclear. Documentation checks reveal expired certificates or missing required documents—issues nobody caught during pre-flight briefings.

Training Inspection Findings

Beyond line operations, Gibney identified patterns in training organization inspections:

Syllabus non-adherence: Cut-and-paste from regulations results in incomplete training materials.

Out-of-date materials: Presentations don't reflect current approved procedures.

Training records gaps: Instructor training not updated, incorrect certificates issued and required certificates not on file.

Unsuitable equipment: "Flight deck oxygen comes out of a box meant for realistic training, but one of the doors might be broken, so it's not realistic. Or it actually doesn't work."

CCTO neglect: Training organizations within AOCs get forgotten by safety managers who don't recognize CCTOs as separate entities with distinct approval requirements.

Box-ticking mentality: This was the source of Gibney's strongest criticism. "We do see ticking the box: 'We'll throw a slide up about resilience in CRM with a one-liner, and that's the end of it.' These are your cabin crew. How do you want them equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to conduct safely? Training is such a huge opportunity. I'm passionate about training. It's a huge opportunity to mould a safe operation. So, invest. Please don't just tick the box."

The Root Cause Challenge

When findings are issued, Gibney demands genuine analysis—not superficial answers.

"All too often, we got a root cause analysis that said 'human error' or 'the instructor didn't follow the syllabus.' And what did I do? Sent it right back and said, 'No, that's not sufficient, because nobody's learning.'"

She demonstrates proper analysis: "The instructor didn't follow the syllabus. Well, why didn't they? It wasn't clear enough. Well, why wasn't it clear? There's no documented procedure. Well, why isn't there? We don't have a person in that position."

"Just keep peeling until you get to what the actual root cause is and come back with a corrective action plan that is going to address this and make it better."

Collaboration at Every Level

Gibney emphasized collaboration across three dimensions:

National: Ireland's Cabin Operations Safety Forum brings together operators and training organizations. "I'll agenda a few topics such the EASA SIBs issued this year. But also, I will ask, 'What are your issues? What do we want to discuss?

Operators share successful approaches: "Anna, if you're doing an outstanding job delivering something on recurrent training, share it. Let everyone else learn."

European: Monthly meetings with EASA's cabin safety expert group ensure standardization. "Rather than confuse industry, we can support them and ensure standardization amongst all our member states."

Internal: Organizations must break down silos before external collaboration can work effectively.

The Partnership Approach

Gibney concluded by reframing the regulatory relationship: "We're not that sheriff. We're here to support, facilitate, and guide you to ensure cabin safety."

Her five-step process, emphasis on early engagement, demand for genuine root cause analysis, and collaborative approach demonstrate that effective oversight comes from partnership, not enforcement. When operators reach out early, communicate honestly, and invest in training rather than box-ticking, everyone benefits—regulators, operators, and most importantly, cabin crew and passengers.

As cabin crew remain "the biggest group out there in aviation," Gibney's message resonates: collaboration and shared learning create safer skies than compliance through fear ever could.

 

Interested in cabin crew training and regulatory collaboration? Join us at WATS 2026 in Orlando, Florida, May 5-7.

 

Save your Seat for WATS 2026!