Cabin Crew Preview: Birdy Gunputh on Managing Complex Emergency Evacuations at EATS 2026

At this year’s European Aviation Training Summit (3–5 November, Cascais, Portugal), Raghoonundun “Birdy” Gunputh, Senior Manager Safety Training/Policies, Standards & Legal Requirements at Lufthansa Aviation Training, will lead Managing Complex Emergency Evacuations: The Core Problem, a workshop in the Cabin Crew Conference Stream.

Speaking with stream moderator Anna Mellberg Karlsson, Cabin Crew Training Manager at SAS Connect, Gunputh explained that the topic grew out of work with ICAO, reviewing whether current practice is still relevant. Analysis of evacuation accidents revealed a gap. Cabin crew are thoroughly drilled on standard operating procedures, and training is built to make sure those procedures are followed. Real evacuations, however, tend to be more complex.

Procedures provide guidance, Gunputh said, but crew facing a real situation must adapt. Within CBTA, that ability falls under the leadership competency: adapting, staying resilient and reaching a safe outcome.

The workshop aims to raise that awareness among the people who write procedures and those who design training based on them, bringing the two groups together to consider how flexible training should be and where it should focus. The goal is not to tick a box confirming a procedure has been covered, but to prepare crew for the complex situations that may arise.

The format is built for participation. Training managers and those who set policies and procedures will work together at roundtables, sharing expertise and best practices. Gunputh is also planning anonymous live polling on participants’ own phones, making it easier for quieter attendees to share a different view.

Together, the group will ask the hard questions. Are we doing the right thing, or just ticking the box? Where does training need to adapt? The aim is to help define the standards of the future, so that crew can cope with whatever they face tomorrow.

Want to join the workshop? Come to EATS, 3–5 November at the Estoril Congress Centre in Cascais, Portugal, and explore this workshop and more in the Cabin Crew Conference Stream. Register below.