Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination
Abstract
Natural disasters are among the events that directly affect the social, economic and physical structure of societies, the frequency and impact of which is increasing. In this process, transportation infrastructures play a critical role in maintaining post-disaster response and recovery activities. Especially in cases where land transportation is damaged, airports become important centers for the dispatch of search and rescue teams, the delivery of humanitarian aid materials and the execution of evacuation operations. The aim of this study is to examine the awareness levels of employees working at a regional airport towards natural disasters, their experiences regarding disaster management, and their perceptions of disaster preparedness processes. Qualitative research method was adopted in the research and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. The data obtained from volunteer participants working at a regional airport were evaluated using MAXQDA software with the thematic analysis method. The research findings show that the participants are generally aware of the current disaster and emergency plans and consider training and drill activities as important components of disaster preparedness. However, differences in employees' plan awareness levels reveal the importance of continuity of training and awareness activities. In addition, participant testimonies show that communication and coordination play a critical role in possible disaster situations. The findings show that disaster management is not only a response process. It reveals that it is perceived as a multifaceted phenomenon that includes the dimensions of preparation, education, awareness, communication and coordination. In conclusion, the study shows that employee awareness, training activities, and coordination practices are important elements in strengthening disaster preparedness at regional airports. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of more effective and sustainable disaster preparedness approaches for regional airports.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Air Transportation and Freight Services
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
June 30, 2026
Submission Date
April 16, 2026
Acceptance Date
June 25, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 1
APA
Özgür, R., Akyüz, D., & Kanat, Ö. Ö. (2026). Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination. Research in Aviation Management (RAM), 6(1), 41-49. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21066387
AMA
1.Özgür R, Akyüz D, Kanat ÖÖ. Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2026;6(1):41-49. doi:10.5281/zenodo.21066387
Chicago
Özgür, Rümeysa, Döne Akyüz, and Öztürk Özdemir Kanat. 2026. “Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 6 (1): 41-49. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21066387.
EndNote
Özgür R, Akyüz D, Kanat ÖÖ (June 1, 2026) Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 6 1 41–49.
IEEE
[1]R. Özgür, D. Akyüz, and Ö. Ö. Kanat, “Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination”, Research in Aviation Management (RAM), vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 41–49, June 2026, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.21066387.
ISNAD
Özgür, Rümeysa - Akyüz, Döne - Kanat, Öztürk Özdemir. “Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 6/1 (June 1, 2026): 41-49. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21066387.
JAMA
1.Özgür R, Akyüz D, Kanat ÖÖ. Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2026;6:41–49.
MLA
Özgür, Rümeysa, et al. “Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM), vol. 6, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 41-49, doi:10.5281/zenodo.21066387.
Vancouver
1.Rümeysa Özgür, Döne Akyüz, Öztürk Özdemir Kanat. Situational Awareness Toward Natural Disasters at Regional Airports: A Qualitative Study of Employee Awareness and Coordination. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2026 Jun. 1;6(1):41-9. doi:10.5281/zenodo.21066387