The East African School of Aviation (EASA) continued its participation in the 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝟭𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆, held at the 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝗡𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶, 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮, on 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, marking 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁.
A key highlight of the day was the participation of 𝗗𝗿. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗸𝗶, 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗔) and 𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗢 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮, as a panellist in a discussion on 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Dr. Waitiki emphasised the importance of aviation training institutions equipping students with mental health and life skills alongside technical competencies, enabling future aviation professionals to effectively manage stress, fatigue, pressure, and other factors that may affect human performance and aviation safety.
She highlighted the need to develop not only technically competent graduates, but also resilient aviation professionals who are equipped to manage their own wellbeing. She noted that this approach should extend across the aviation workforce, including pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance professionals, engineers, flight operations officers, and other safety-critical personnel.
Dr. Waitiki further shared EASA’s initiative to develop a life-skills course aimed at equipping students with practical skills to cope with stress, fatigue, and other challenges that may affect mental wellbeing. She also underscored the importance of mentorship, safe spaces, early intervention, and open conversations in addressing mental health challenges and reducing stigma.
Her contribution reinforced a fundamental message for the aviation sector: 𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁.
EASA’s participation in the Aviation Summit 2026 reflects its continued commitment to 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿.