Mental Health in Aviation: When Silence Becomes a Safety Risk
Behind every uniform is a human story.
12% of pilots experience depression
25% live with anxiety
40% struggle with alcohol misuse
45% report fatigue or have fallen asleep at the controls
These figures underline an uncomfortable truth, aviation safety cannot exist without prioritising the mental fitness and wellbeing of its people. Aviation demands precision, discipline, and resilience, yet mental health remains one of the most neglected elements of human performance. This challenge is global. Across continents, aviation professionals face rising training costs, inflation, job insecurity, fatigue, cultural stigma, and personal pressures. Many suffer in silence, fearing the loss of certification, employment, or professional standing. The silence itself has become a safety hazard.
The Stories That Sparked Change
For Ivana Alvares-Marshall, Governor of the African Section of The Ninety-Nines, these events marked a turning point, prompting her to reassess how mental health is understood, addressed, and supported within aviation. It revealed mental health as a critical yet overlooked factor in aviation.
In 1999, while Ivana was a student pilot in South Africa, she learned of the Air Botswana tragedy, where a pilot overwhelmed by despair deliberately destroyed an airline’s fleet and his own life. The devastation extended far beyond one individual, impacting an entire nation’s aviation industry.
In 2019, another story emerged: a young flight school student from her country Malawi, took his life after repeated examination failures, crushed by shame and financial pressure, with no mental health support available.
Then in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a pilot in Botswana deliberately crashed his aircraft after experiencing severe personal trauma once again transforming private suffering into public tragedy.
These events are not isolated; they are symptoms of systemic neglect. The silence itself has become a safety risk.
Why the ME Programme Exists
Recognising that mental health is central to aviation safety, Ivana designed the ME Programme (Mindfulness & Emotional Approaches)—a three-day, neuroscience-backed workshop tailored for aviation environments. The programme provides practical tools to manage stress, regulate emotions, build resilience, and create open, supportive cultures without stigma or fear.
It is designed for:
Students and trainee pilots
Licensed aviation professionals
Flight schools and training organisations
Airlines, corporates, and aviation authorities
The programme is globally relevant, culturally adaptable, and grounded in real-world aviation experiences.
Partner With Us
The African Section 99s offers the ME Programme worldwide.
If your school, organisation, airline, or authority would like to host this three-day workshop, please contact the African Section 99s to begin the conversation.
Because behind every aircraft is a human being and safer skies begin with mentally healthy people.
