Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Which Skills Are Most Important in Aviation World?

Communication is treated as one of the most important issues in all aviation professions, including aircraft maintenance, where passenger safety is paramount. Employer dissatisfaction with the performance of engineers, including aviation graduates, as communicators in the workplace remains controversial. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the types and functions of communication skills required in the aircraft maintenance workplace. Twelve participants, consisting of aircraft maintenance technicians and licenses aircraft engineers (LAE), were involved in semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed thematically and managed using ATLAS.ti software. The results showed that seven sub-themes were identified in relation to oral communication activities and five sub-themes in relation to written communication a written communication is as important as oral communication for aircraft maintenance personnel. In addition, both written and oral communication are expected to be clear, concise and precise. The identified need for communication skills would help aviation institutions develop solutions to meet the needs of the aviation industry. [For the full proceedings, see ED654100.]