Safety management approaches on the airport apron side: the role of cognitive awareness

Air transportation, with its speed, efficiency, and capacity to connect remote locations, is a vital component of the global transportation system. Although flight operations take place in the air, the preparation and support processes occur on the ground, where ground operations play a critical role in ensuring safety. In this context, the apron, an essential part of an airport, holds strategic importance for safety. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of cognitive awareness in preventing accidents caused by human factors on airport aprons and to develop solution proposals that contribute to the safety management system in this regard. In line with the study's objectives, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and surveys with personnel working in the operations departments of ground handling companies operating in Turkey. The research findings reveal that accidents caused by human errors, known as the "Dirty Dozen," may occur due to a decline in cognitive awareness. Factors such as stress, lack of communication, and deficiencies in teamwork were found to negatively impact the safety of operations conducted on the apron. The results indicate that these factors can be improved through training, significantly contributing to accident prevention. The analyses also determined the effects of demographic variables on safety behaviors, teamwork deficiencies, communication inadequacies, and stress. To enhance apron safety levels, it was concluded that expanding training programs, activating reward and penalty mechanisms, increasing the frequency of inspection processes, improving working conditions, strengthening communication in the apron area, organizing the work environment, and raising personnel selection criteria in recruitment processes are necessary.