Edith Mala Diop

I was privileged to speak on “The Human Impact of Unruly Passenger Events: Why Mental Resilience Matters” from the perspective of a Pilot and Peer Support Coordinator.

A very special thank you to Philip Baum, Chair of DISPAX World 2026, for the invitation, your trust, and your remarkable leadership in creating such an important platform for industry reflection and operational dialogue.

What made this conference particularly valuable was its multidisciplinary approach, bringing together aviation, psychology, security, behavioural analysis, operational safety and human factors into one highly relevant discussion.

I particularly appreciated the insightful exchanges surrounding behavioural analysis, body-worn cameras in high-risk operational environments, nightlife culture and alcohol-related disruptive passenger trends, aviation psychology, emotional resilience, cabin crew mental wellbeing, emotional hijack and critical decision-making in the cabin, leadership and safer operational cultures, menopause awareness and women’s wellbeing in demanding environments, non-visible disabilities and adapted frontline responses, restraint-related injuries and crew training, as well as behavioural risk factors and prevention strategies within aviation environments.

The conference also benefited from contributions involving , , , , , , , and many others.

One message became increasingly clear throughout the conference:
Disruptive passenger management is no longer solely a security issue. It is deeply connected to psychology, communication, emotional regulation, leadership, resilience and post-incident recovery.
The future of aviation safety will depend not only on procedures and technology, but also on how effectively we protect human performance and psychological safety within our operational systems.
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A long overdue post… 🎓✨

Last February, I officially graduated with an MSc in Air Transport Management from City St George’s, University of London.

Balancing long-haul flying, motherhood, leadership responsibilities, and academic life was not always easy, but this journey meant a lot to me.

My thesis focused on the feasibility of launching a dedicated cargo airline in Côte d’Ivoire, a project deeply connected to my vision for African aviation.

Thank you to my mother for always inspiring me, my late father for continuing to guide me from heaven, and former President of Ghana, John Jerry Rawlings , for believing in me and pushing me to aim higher.

Grateful as well to the Minister of Transport of Côte d’Ivoire, , Stanislas Zézé , Alexandre Muratore , and my thesis supervisor Emre Eroktem for their support throughout this journey.

Another meaningful step forward, with the same passion for aviation, learning, and impact. ✨✈️



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