Security is top priority in the aviation industry, so it’s no wonder there are specific and strict regulations around training airline operators and staff on proper security measures.

From preventing drug abuse to identifying possible terrorist threats and taking appropriate action, employees have to a lot to track as they keep the passengers and goods moving safely and accurately around the globe. Training these 545,000 aviation employees on how to prevent, spot, and address security threats is no small task either, so let’s examine the two main ways to deliver security training: online or in-person.

In-Person

Live training programs can provide several key advantages over e-learning. First, live training creates a terrific atmosphere for collaborative, creative, and/or group activities.

Security training however, is highly regulated and specific with little room for interpretation. Security training must adhere to exact guidelines or be considered null. Yet live training’s interactive nature also allows students to ask the instructor specific questions, critical for learning, which is why many online training programs provide question and answer sections.

In-person training also has an advantage in that it occurs in a controlled space, at a dedicated time, so the training is not competing with other demands that could impact the trainee’s ability to fully grasp procedures being presented.

In general, live training has some key advantages to consider, but given the size of the aviation industry, the specificity of the curriculum required, and the ever-present need to keep costs low, online security training has some distinct advantages.

Online

With so many employees being regulated by several different agencies, online security training can provide a convenient, immediate, and consistent alternative for operators providing valuable cost savings.

Convenience

Training online can happen anywhere with an Internet connection, saving time and travel-related expenses, which is important for a workforce dispersed across the country.

E-learning also provides flexibility to train any time and at a pace that is most effective for learning security measures. And because online training is not limited by room capacity, online security training for programs like General Security Awareness Training, which is recommend for all aircraft operator and Fixed-Based Operator employees, provides a scalable solution to ensure every employee is trained within the time allotted by regulators.

Immediate

Rather than employees waiting for the next available training date, online training streamlines the training process as soon as they’re hired. This not only ensures immediate security compliance, but also allows employees to get back to work moving passengers and freight across the country.

Consistent

One key advantage online security training has over live training is the assurance that every trainee is presented with the same, approved training content. This not only assures compliance but also alleviates the worry of an employee blaming an irregularity in their performance on not being presented with accurate training. Online training is the same for everyone taking it, so there is no ambiguity as to what is being presented.

Cost-Effective

Whether an operator has to train a handful or a few hundred employees on security procedures, online training assures it can occur when and where employees are available, can be done immediately, and that the material will be consistent from person to person.

This is why online training is a cost effective method for delivering security training. Consider Flight School Security Awareness Training, which must be done annually, in the same month every year. Services like NATACS provides this online training module free of charge and will notify employees when their next recurring training is due.

With so much at stake, online security training is a safe route for aircraft operators looking to provide reliable, cost-effective security training for their employees.