Cabin and Ground Injuries on the Rise: What We Need to Know

The 2025 Annual Safety Review, published by EASA on 26 August, highlights a trend that often goes unnoticed: injuries to cabin crew and ground staff are on the rise.

While most attention in aviation safety focuses on accidents involving aircraft, the reality is that people are being hurt both in the cabin and on the ground. These incidents may not make the headlines, but they affect safety, cause delays, and cost operators both money and reputation.

Cabin and ground staff injuries: A rising trend that calls for proactive action.

Cabin Crew Injuries: Turbulence in Focus

Turbulence remains a leading cause of cabin crew injuries. Crew members are often standing, serving, or moving through the cabin when unexpected turbulence hits.

• Injuries range from sprains and falls to serious trauma.

• They not only harm staff but may also impact passengers caught in the event.

• Reporting is essential, every injury should feed into safety data so that operators can refine turbulence awareness, seatbelt policies, and cockpit–cabin communication (CRM).

• With climate change driving an increase in unexpected turbulence, this is no longer a rare risk but a growing operational challenge.

Ground Staff Injuries: Persistent but Preventable

On the ground, the Annual Safety Review shows recurring issues:

• Engine suction and jet blast → staff caught in unsafe zones or exposed to aircraft power.

• Slips and falls → often linked to equipment positioning, apron conditions, or task design.

• Vehicle and equipment strikes → collisions in the busy apron environment.

These are not just “personal accidents.” They represent systemic risks that operators must manage proactively.

For example, when a staff member is struck by a vehicle or equipment, it is rarely just “bad luck.” It often points to deeper issues: congested apron layouts, lack of clear traffic routes, time pressure, or poor coordination between departments. Addressing these requires looking beyond the single accident to strengthen procedures, supervision, and apron design.

Why We Should Pay Attention

Maintenance staff and ground handlers share the same apron. That means the same risk factors, the same exposure, and the same opportunity to act.

• Human Factors training should reinforce apron safety, communication, and task awareness.

• Safety Management Systems (SMS) should make it easy for staff to report hazards and near misses, for example with a simple mobile app.

• Proactive risk assessments can identify high-risk tasks before injuries happen.

The tools are already in place under regulation. The challenge is making sure they are used not just to satisfy compliance, but to actively protect people.

Turning Data into Prevention

The Annual Safety Review is not just a report. It is a reminder that safety culture must extend beyond the flight deck and the maintenance hangar.

• Cabin injuries highlight the importance of CRM and turbulence management.

• Ground injuries underline the need for clear procedures, constant vigilance, and a Just Culture that encourages reporting of hazards.

Takeaway

Cabin and ground staff injuries may not make the front page, but they are real, costly, and preventable.

By acting on the data in the 2025 Annual Safety Review, Part-145 organisations, airlines, and ground handlers can strengthen procedures, reinforce training, and build a safer environment for everyone.