Aviation psychology, a recently developing field of study in Turkey and around the world, has gained much importance as evidence of the involvement of human error in aviation accidents has increased. Considering the importance of human factors in aviation, the Aviation Psychology Research Institute was established in 2017 at Istanbul University to tackle the human-oriented problems in the aviation industry with scientific methods and integrate scientific knowledge into the industry. Therefore, being the first Aviation Psychology Research Institute in Turkey and one among the few in the world, this institute continues to provide services to the aviation industry, and offers a specialized graduate program. The goal of the institute is to train aviation psychology experts, who will contribute to the development of the industry by using scientific applications and conducting studies. As a part of this goal, the present book, edited by the institute’s academic team, addresses the most crucial issues on scientific grounds and in applicable fields, which introduces the avenues of research in aviation psychology in the best possible manner. The coronavirus-19 pandemic, which has tremendous global effects on our lives, has paused the studies in the field of aviation, an effect similar to other sectors. However, according to present trends, air transportation has recently started to gain momentum again and is expected to rise even further. Consequently, with the re-emergence of air transportation, the need for aviation personnel will increase, thereby giving rise to various difficulties affecting the satisfaction and performance of employees in the aviation industry. This situation requires close collaboration between the aviation industry and the university. Furthermore, it requires academics to make recommendations to solve industry problems by producing scientific knowledge; the aviation industry encourages scientific research and welcomes researchers to analyze its applications in the field from a scientific perspective. I believe this collaboration will strengthen in the future and this book will be useful for students, researchers, and academics who aim to conduct research and apply the knowledge in the practical field of the aviation industry.
Prof. Dr. Mahmut AK Rector of the University of Istanbul |