AINsight: Threat-forward In-flight Briefings Are Smart and Safe | Aviation International News

AINsight: Threat-forward Briefings Are Smart and Safe

Skip the formulaic approach/departure briefings for ones that highlight specific threats and create open dialogue

Alaska Airlines 787 — © Alaska Airlines

By Stuart “Kipp” Lau • Contributor - Safety

June 26, 2026

Nearly 10 years ago, Alaska Airlines redesigned its departure and approach briefings to focus on flight-specific threats. The airline moved away from lengthy, generic briefings that had become routine box-checking exercises on flight decks worldwide. In their place, it introduced a more dynamic process grounded in threat and error management, giving pilots flexibility to scale and tailor briefings to the situation at hand.

Research into threat-forward briefings began following the 2013 fatal crash of an Airbus A300-600 freighter in Birmingham, Alabama. Both pilots were killed.

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The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

Contributor - Safety

About the author

Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.

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