Air India - a statement
The International Peer Assist Aviation Coalition expresses its deepest condolences during this exceptionally difficult time in the wake of the tragedy for all aviation safety professions involved at Air India. We have been in contact with our colleagues at Air India who run a very innovative and effective peer support programme for pilots and are offering any assistance they need.
Speculations about this tragedy are likely to be distressing, counter-productive and distracting. We are consummate professionals but events like these, whatever their cause, generate strong emotions particularly amongst friends and colleagues of those directly affected. It is IPAAC’s belief that the mental health and wellbeing of all safety-critical personnel in aviation is a safety issue.. The role of Peer Support Programmes is more critical than ever in assisting our colleagues when they need support from a friendly and confidential co-worker, trained to give specific assistance. IPAAC is committed to developing and promoting Peer Support Programmes across the world as a major contributor to Flight Safety. Such programmes provide a vital method for safety-critical personnel in aviation to seek help for mental health and wellbeing issues.
We are delighted to announce that the 2025 IPAAC Conference will be held in the sunny (sic) climes of Montreal this November at the Delta Marriott hotel. The agenda is currently being finalised after the abstracts have now been received - it is shaping up to be a fascinating 3 days of the conference with a mixture of plenary presentations, workshops and panels covering all areas of peer support for safety-critical personel in aviation. Watch this space and we will publish the agenda as soon as it is approved, which should be at the beginning of August.
New this year is a dedicated Accelerated Learning Day immediately prior to the main conference on Monday 10th November. This will feature three workshops on subjects related to peer support that need a whole day dedicated to them:
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Peer Skills - how to select, train and care for your Peers
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Peer Support 101 and 201 - how to implement and develop your PSP
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Drugs and Alcohol Support - the world's first day dedicated to D&A support programs in aviation
In addition, we are delighted to be partnering with the
University of North Dakota, who will be hosting their
annual Aviation Mental Health Symposium,
focussing on provision of mental health support
in Flight Training Establishments.
Tickets can be bought either individually for this Accelerated Learning Day or as part of a 4 day discounted package. We suspect you will be spoilt for choice as to which to attend - though you can visit all four if you wish! More details of the individual events can be found here and tickets can be purchased by clicking the button below.
Delta Hotel
475 Av. du Président-Kennedy, Montréal
We have negotiated a discounted rate for IPAAC attendees at the Delta, and for 3 days before and after the conference. Click here for the booking link
Enhancing aviation performance and safety through peer assistance
What is IPAAC?
The International Peer Assist Aviation Coalition (IPAAC) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to progressing the development and implementation of Peer Support Programmes (PSPs) for all safety critical personnel in aviation.
Several very high profile accidents, such as the Germanwings 9525 crash in 2015, have shown that the impact of unaddressed mental health issues can have catastrophic effects on flight safety. In this complex area, Peer Support Programmes have been shown to offer an effective and confidential method for safety-critical personnel to ask for and receive help if they are struggling with life’s issues.
IPAAC is dedicated to promoting best practice and sharing experience and expertise from PSPs all over the world. Whilst there are a number of key elements which must form part of a successful programme, there is no ‘one size fits all’ and different cultures around the world will have different requirements to make their programmes effective. IPAAC is the global forum for such expertise.
Latest News
Charlie Curreri Podcast
IPPAC founder and former Chair CA Charlie Curreri is now Dr Charlie Curreri! Many congratulations to him on successfully completing his PhD on mental health amongst commercial pilots after his retirement from flying. Here he talks to a popular podcast in the US about the history of Project Wingman, the PSP he created in American Airlines in 2011, and other topics surrounding pilot mental heath:
Download the latest IPAAC Newsletter here
IPAAC Conference in Hilton Osaka
5th-7th November 2024
What an amazing conference we had in Osaka! Over 120 delegates from 20 different countries made the journey, sharing a wealth of experience and best practice from across the globe. We've written a report here of the three days, and flattened versions of the presentations can be downloaded here.
Here are some quick links for delegates to navigate easily to the various elements of the conference, including a picture gallery and a fabulous short video that Rose has put together. Looking forward to November 2025 in Montreal! Details on that to follow very soon.
We are very proud that the 2024 IPAAC conference was in association with JAL, alongside a host of other sponsorship from organisations listed below. Additionally, we are delighted that our conference was supported by the OSAKA International Conference Grant from Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City on the occasion of Expo 2025.
2024 IPPAC Conference Delegates
