Operational resilience in airlines: from reactive firefighting to structured control
Operational resilience has become one of the most overused terms in aviation. Everyone talks about it. Few actually build it. For many airlines, resilience still means working harder during disruptions, not working smarter.
True resilience is not about heroics during a crisis. It is about having systems that hold when pressure increases.
What operational resilience really means in aviation
Operational resilience is the airline’s ability to:
- Absorb disruption without collapsing.
- Maintain control during uncertainty.
- Recover faster with fewer downstream impacts.
- Learn and improve after each event.
It is not a department. It is an operating model.
Why most airlines are still in firefighting mode
Despite digital tools, many airlines still rely on:
- Manual coordination between teams.
- Siloed operational data.
- Decision-making driven by urgency rather than impact.
- A few key individuals holding critical knowledge.
When those people are unavailable, resilience disappears.
The shift: from individual effort to systemic control
Resilient airlines do not depend on extraordinary people.
They depend on:
- Centralized, reliable operational data.
- Shared situational awareness across teams.
- Clear decision frameworks during disruptions.
- Traceability of actions and outcomes.
This reduces stress, errors and recovery time.
The role of decision support in resilience
During disruptions, the limiting factor is rarely effort.
It is cognitive overload.
Decision support systems reduce complexity by:
- Structuring information.
- Making trade-offs visible.
- Helping teams understand consequences before acting.
This is where resilience becomes practical, not theoretical.
How duerming supports operational resilience
duerming helps airlines move from reactive firefighting to structured operational control.
By centralizing information and supporting better decisions under pressure, teams gain clarity when it matters most.
Resilience is not about predicting every disruption.
It is about being ready for any of them.
Airlines that invest in operational resilience do not eliminate disruptions.
They eliminate chaos.
And in today’s aviation environment, control is one of the few sustainable competitive advantages left.