NATA Compliance Services Blog

Military veterans, especially pilots, have long chosen to pursue a second career in civil aviation. The Washington Post, this year, reports a little more than 80 percent of U.S. civil pilots served in the military during the 1960s. Many saw the military as a gateway to an aviation career; the military provided superior training and the opportunity to fly aircraft that was second to none. Having a military background gave pilots a clear advantage over other applicants within the general aviation industry. 

Today, military veterans continue to be valuable to commercial airlines and aviation operators, but the number of veterans transitioning from the military to general aviation has decreased significantly. As a result, only “a third of private-sector U.S. pilots have military backgrounds.” Why the change?

Every business experiences employee turnover, some more than others. Aviation businesses especially, are struggling to retain its pilots, technicians, service personnel, etc. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) provided great insight from a recent survey they conducted regarding workforce retention. Whether it is from employees transitioning to major airlines, retirement or the lack of qualified talent, they all impact the success of an operation. Implementing processes to mitigate the negative impacts of employee turnover will help operations stay flying. 

Terminating an employee is never a task managers enjoy or seek to do, but occasionally it has to be done. For those of you that think letting a subpar employee skate by is easier than confronting the issues straight on, give it enough time and you'll wish you terminated that employee months ago. There's nothing worse than waiting for an employee to quit while they poison the rest of the business. So, when is it time to cut ties? Some key indicators are...

We've all heard the phrase 'organized chaos', but what about the phrase 'organized system'?

Studies show that working in an unorganized and cluttered environment negatively affects our ability to focus. Still, many people don't set time aside to put things where they need to go. In no time, there are boxes and paperwork piled up that will take days to sort through, as well as a never-ending inbox full of new emails. With even less time to organize than before, the constant cycle of 'organized chaos' can cost companies thousands of dollars in fines, overhead, and time.

Pilot recruitment and retention are hot topics that continues to challenge an industry facing a pilot shortage.

It's simple. Provide your employees with the benefits and treatment they expect, the golden rule is: treat others how you wish to be treated. As an employee I value a number of things, but
here's a list of my top 4 non-negotiables.

To ensure ongoing compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), employers are voluntarily conducting internal audits of Forms I-9 though they are not required by law. 

"Guidance for Employers Conducting Internal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 Audits" goes over the who, what, when, and why of Form I-9 Audits in a very detailed and easily understood manner. Read below for a brief overview.

In September 2013, a TSA screener at Los Angeles International Airport was arrested a few hours after resigning for making threats against the airport on the anniversary of 9/11. In December of that year, the FBI arrested an avionic technician at Wichita Airport for plotting a suicide attack using an improvised explosive device.

These are just a couple of examples of employees who became a significant threat in the workplace. However, workplace threats are not limited to “home-grown” terrorists, radicalized by Islamic militarism. It also includes the careless employee, who unintentionally downloads a virus that infects your company’s computer network, or the disgruntled employee who acts unprofessionally with a customer. You may remember the JetBlue Flight Attendant, who became a YouTube sensation, when he quit his job by yelling a few choice words to passengers, grabbing some beers for the road and using the plane's emergency chute to exit the aircraft.

As economic conditions improve and gas prices plummet, the airline industry is poised to see more demand for flights and flight services starting in 2015. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projects passenger demand, for example, will grow 3.4% in 2015 and continue steadily until 2019. With this growth will come increased capacity and the need for more human resources to serve passengers and to safely complete operations at all levels of the aviation industry. With that in mind, let’s look at four things you can do now to prepare you for your 2015 hiring needs.