The Importance of Background Checks in the Airline Industry

There are few fields more carefully regulated and safety-aware than the airline industry. It takes a lot of people to keep those planes in the air. Passengers, crew, and the community at large want to know that the people behind it all are safe, responsible, and worthy of trust. Background checks are major parts of the employment process in the airline field. Pilots, flight attendants, ground crews, luggage handlers, maintenance crews, and others—all should have histories that are above reproach. This article considers the importance of background checks in the airline industry and how they keep everyone safe.

The Critical Role of Background Checks

Safety and Security

The biggest reason for conducting background checks on employees is to ensure the well-being of, well, everyone. Airflight is a high-risk effort and environment. Overlooking a safety check, routine maintenance, or any number of other processes and procedures could lead to literal disaster. Regular background checks expose potential and current employees who might risk jeopardizing the safety and security of everyone in a flight.

Individuals with criminal histories, substance abuse issues, suspicious ties to certain people and organizations, and the like are all major red flags when it comes to airlines. A pilot with several DUIs in their past can’t be trusted with operating a several-ton airplane in the sky. Likewise, a history of sabotage, trespassing, theft, and property damage should raise an employer’s eyebrow when it comes to hiring a mechanic, ground crewmember, and the like. Vetting employees ensures only reliable and responsible individuals join an airline, preserving life, limb, and property.

Keeping Compliant

The airline industry is subject to stringent standards and regulations, nationally and internationally. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) all require rigorous background checks for people seeking employment in the airline industry. These organizations, as well as the individual airline companies, demand a high level of competence from their personnel. They also need to know they can trust the folks they hire or those who are operating and working on airplanes, airports, and attendant facilities.

If companies hire the wrong people, that might mean violations, penalties and fines, suspended operating licenses, and lost revenue. Running background checks isn’t just best practice. Often, it’s a legal requirement, as well.

Protecting Reputation

Building a respected and beloved brand takes years or even decades. Destroying the goodwill connected with that brand, however, takes just minutes or seconds. Airlines need to maintain the public’s trust, and the brand must suggest reliability, trust, and safety. A single employee with a dubious background can ruin a brand. Nearly everyone has a cell phone with a camera now, for example, and airlines often face extra online scrutiny and negative publicity when an employee is filmed engaging in bad behavior. Likewise, even the suggestion that an airline’s employees are putting passengers at risk might cause immediate and ongoing problems for the brand. Letting it be known that employees are subject to periodic background checks builds confidence in a brand.

What Do Airline Background Checks Look For?

In many ways, airline industry background checks resemble any other employment background checks, though there are a few industry-specific things that searchers look for.

Criminal History

A criminal history shouldn’t necessarily disqualify someone for a position with an airport or airline. However, some offenses stand out as warning signs and automatic disqualifications. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), applicants are disqualified if they are found guilty, pled guilty, or were found not guilty by reason of insanity for these felonies:

– Espionage
– Sedition
– Treason
– Terrorism
– Murder
– A transportation security incident (TSI)
– A Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violation

Employment Verification

A potential hire can’t misrepresent their previous employment. Often, they must prove their eligibility and any experience required for the job.

Educational History

A candidate needs to show proof that they possess the skills, knowledge, qualifications, and skillset necessary for the position. While not all positions require flight school or a college background, some roles may require basic education for the role.

Credit Checks

Not everyone in the industry handles a control stick, luggage, tickets, or the like. Some folks oversee the financial aspects of the field, handling large amounts of money and personal information. A bad credit score is a huge red flag for these roles.

Substance Abuse Screening

Drug tests and proof of sobriety are huge requirements for pilots and anyone working in the control towers. This requirement may carry over to other departments, as well.

References

Of course, checking references corroborates a person’s abilities and job history and provides insight into their work ethic, dependability, and job performance.

Licenses/Certification Verification

Many roles in the airline industry require licensing and certifications. This includes pilots and co-pilots, as well as air traffic controllers. Licensing verification is one of those dual requirements, where the person must prove they have the proper recognition and training, and the employer needs to prove their qualifications to fulfill federal and other regulations.

Social Media and Online Presence

Nowadays, many airlines look into a candidate or employee’s activities online. Speaking ill of former employers, bad behavior toward others, and revealing sentiments that might suggest danger or otherwise reflect badly on the airline’s brand are all red flags to employers.

Background Check Challenges

Naturally, every effort has challenges, and background checks are no exception. Here are a few things to keep in mind when hiring an employment background check company.

Accessing Accurate Information

While some background information is easy to come by through petitioning agencies and former employers, information from other countries may be harder to come by. An employee may be from another country where different standards and rules apply and records aren’t centrally located.

Privacy and Data Protection

Laws regarding privacy and data protection may differ elsewhere. For instance, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union presents stricter requirements for acquiring and using personal data.

Cost and Resource Allocation

A comprehensive background check isn’t usually feasible. Most employers concentrate on spending money on certain types of checks; otherwise, the costs in time and money would add up exponentially.

Now you know more about the importance of background checks in the airline industry. Contact us for a discussion on the best approaches and checks to employ in your own job candidate searching and vetting!