A qualitative research on professional burnout of cabin crews working in the aviation industry: The example of Turkey and Germany

The civil aviation sector both affects and is affected by technological developments. Airline transportation and transportation, which is described as the most comfortable, safest, fastest and most modern among the transportation and transportation sectors, is developing day by day. In the light of these developments, airline companies working in the civil aviation sector are constantly growing and increasing the number of personnel they employ. In this study, which was carried out to reveal a qualitative research on the occupational burnout of cabin crews working in the aviation sector, interviews were conducted with those practicing the profession in Germany and Turkey, which have great developments in the civil aviation sector. The findings obtained in this context were evaluated in the light of the studies in the literature. In order to take into account the ever-growing structure of the civil aviation sector and the increasing number of cabin crews employed, current data from many institutions, especially the Turkish Statistical Institute, were examined and included in the study. In addition, in order to create the conceptual framework of the study, the historical development of the aviation sector and civil aviation and the emergence of the concept of burnout and the meaning it expresses were transferred. When the literature is examined, it is seen that burnout of cabin crew is affected by many factors, especially stress and working conditions. It is seen that the occupational burnout of cabin crew members, who are in the part of the civil aviation sector, which is developing day by day, in active communication and interaction with the customer / passenger, will be directly reflected on the customers. When evaluating the success of businesses operating in the civil aviation sector, the most important parameter is seen as high customer satisfaction. In this context, in order to increase the success of businesses, it is necessary to increase customer satisfaction and therefore increase job satisfaction by improving the working conditions of cabin crews. Considering that the highest number of employees in the civil aviation sector is formed by cabin crew personnel, a qualitative research on the occupational burnout of cabin crews is considered to be extremely important. Keywords: Civil aviation, burnout, aviation