SAFETY SITREP THE ART OF SAYING NO
Safety-Related Information and Resources from the Vertical Aviation Safety Team
Accidents have occurred when pilots failed to resist customer pressure to fly during unsafe operational, weather-related or technical conditions. Pilots may feel compelled to meet customer expectations, even when it compromises safety. Understanding how to handle such situations safely and effectively is crucial to reducing risk and preventing accidents.
Resisting customer pressure can be particularly challenging, especially when dealing with VIPs, executives or individuals who manage, own or contract the company to operate flights on demand. These people often have tight schedules and high expectations that can lead them to place implicit or explicit pressure on the flight crew to make or continue a flight, even in unsuitable conditions.
A strong company safety culture, coupled with clear procedures and pilot assertiveness, is essential to counteract passenger pressure. Pilots must develop the ability to say “No,” propose a safer course of action, and justify it with confidence. Resisting pressure and making safety-based decisions is an essential part of their responsibility.
When the risks are unacceptable, the safest decision may be to delay or cancel the flight. When conditions deteriorate in flight, it may be necessary to return to base, divert, or land and live.
This message needs to be consistently reinforced during flight operations, within the framework of the company’s Safety Management System (SMS), to ensure that pilots feel supported in making safety-first decisions.
VIDEO STORY
This EASA video scenario involves six VIP passengers who expect their return flight to proceed normally. But the weather is deteriorating.
The video emphasizes the critical importance of prioritizing safety over external demands
16 Nov/Dec 2025
and reinforces that, when flight conditions deteriorate, landing the helicopter can be the safest course of action.
Beyond managing immediate expectations, pilots also play an educational role. They help passengers, particularly those in leadership positions, understand that safety protocols contribute to the overall professionalism of an aviation operation and protect their lives. A well-informed customer will recognize that a company that prioritizes safety is one they can trust, reinforcing long-term confidence in its operation.
TAKEAWAYS KEY ASPECTS INCLUDE:
1. The pilot’s role in customer relations, including strategies for effectively managing passenger frustration, avoiding conflict, and de-escalating situations where frustration might escalate into unruly behavior.
2. Customer briefing procedures, aligned with company policies and external guidance, to ensure passengers understand the rationale behind operational decisions and their safety benefits.
3. SMS processes and a strong safety culture that support a pilot’s ability to resist pressure to fly, with particular emphasis on risk assessment and management both before and during the flight.
Pilots must explain to passengers that any decision to cancel or delay a flight – or to return to base, divert or land when conditions seriously deteriorate – is made with their safety in mind. Rather than viewing such decisions as an inconvenience or a failure to meet expectations, customers should understand that these actions reflect a robust company safety culture.
It’s a key pilot responsibility to ensure that passengers feel reassured rather than frustrated when a flight is cancelled, postponed, or interrupted due to safety concerns.
In VIP operations, pilots constantly balance mission goals with changing realities. True professionalism means knowing when to change course. Making assertive, safety-first decisions under pressure defines a skilled crew.
EASA promotes a strong safety culture, one that empowers crews to act conservatively when needed. The company’s SMS supports those choices and captures lessons through post-flight reviews. Every decision and every report help make the next flight safer.
Weather can change. A pilot’s judgment must not.
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True pilot leadership is saying NO and proposing a safer course of action when others expect Yes. Explain the NO. Earn passenger trust. Protect their lives.
• NO is not failure — it’s the decision that keeps everyone safe.
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The ultimate objective is ensuring that every passenger and crew member returns home safely.
VIP Passenger Management: Communication and Safety — every flight, every time.
By Michel Masson, EASA Senior Business Partner Safety Promotion, ESPN-R Coordinator EASA Communication and Safety Promotion Department
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