In the high-pressure world of aviation, safety is paramount, but the wellbeing of those who ensure that safety often goes overlooked. In South Africa, a remarkable volunteer-based organisation is changing that. Mayday-SA is a confidential, peer-based support network dedicated to the emotional and mental wellbeing of aviation licence holders, from pilots and cabin crew to engineers, air traffic controllers, and even management.
Founded in the aftermath of the 2012 Double Albatross accident near Tzaneen, Mayday-SA arose from a deeply human response to tragedy. “It was the impact on families and aviation peers that really brought home the need for support,” explains Dr Jaco van der Westhuizen, the organisation’s CEO. With years of international experience, including roles with IATA, IFATCA, and ICAO’s Mental Health Working Group, Jaco now leads this not-for-profit initiative offering a vital safety net to South African aviation professionals.
A Peer-Based Approach Rooted in Compassion
At its core, Mayday-SA provides confidential, non-judgemental support from trained aviation peers. Volunteers understand both the technical pressures and emotional toll of the aviation environment. They offer a safe space for colleagues facing anything from stress and burnout to the fallout from critical incidents or personal crises like illness, divorce, or bereavement.
What sets Mayday-SA apart is its deep understanding of the unique pressures faced by aviation professionals. “The aviation lifestyle is anything but normal,” says Jaco. “Pilots and crew work irregular hours, are frequently away from home, and live under constant assessment pressure — where ‘failure’ can mean loss of licence and livelihood.”
Even outside the cockpit, life’s demands continue: family illnesses, relationship difficulties, children’s needs. Add to that the high-stakes, high-altitude environment of aviation, and the result is a profession under constant strain. “You’re expected to flip a switch, to be in full control in the sky, and then return to being a partner, parent or friend as soon as you land. That switch doesn’t always come easily.”
Beyond Pilots: The Full Front Line of Safety
Although originally centred on pilots, Mayday-SA now extends support across the aviation ecosystem. “The mental health and wellbeing of aviation personnel is not confined to the flight deck,” Jaco notes. “We support cabin crew, maintenance staff, engineers, ATCs, and increasingly, management.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this broadened focus became even more critical. “We saw that management bore as much, if not more, emotional strain. They’re caught between the wellbeing of their teams and the pressure to maintain performance from above. It’s a lot to carry.”
The pandemic also served as a stark reminder of mental health’s importance. The World Health Organisation had already projected depression as the leading global health concern by 2030, but COVID has accelerated that timeline. “Isolation, uncertainty, financial strain, it all took a toll. Even if someone isn’t clinically depressed, many have been living with a depressed mood,” Jaco says.
The Unseen Toll of Fatigue and Family Strain
Sleep deprivation, irregular schedules, and missed family moments contribute significantly to stress and burnout. “You can’t always be there for birthdays, school events, or even a Saturday braai,” Jaco reflects. “That erodes relationships and adds to emotional fatigue. And we know from human performance science: fatigue impairs judgement, decision-making, and mood, all critical for aviation safety.”
The issue is cumulative. As stressors mount, work challenges, personal problems, health scares, even the most capable professionals can be pushed to their limits. “Aviation tends to attract exceptional individuals, highly skilled, resilient, and driven,” Jaco says. “But even they are not immune. What we often see is a clustering of life stressors that overwhelms the ability to cope.”
This is where peer support is so effective. “Sometimes people don’t have someone in their personal life they can confide in, or they want to keep their struggles separate from their private circles. That’s where Mayday comes in.”
Reducing Stigma and Raising Awareness
Despite growing global recognition of mental health in aviation, stigma remains a major barrier. “In South Africa, it’s perhaps more pronounced,” Jaco admits. “The social context adds additional stress, crime, financial insecurity, and political instability, all contribute to a baseline of anxiety. Speaking up about mental health can feel risky in such an environment.”
That’s why Mayday-SA continues to raise awareness within the industry. “Unfortunately, no, we don’t think there’s enough awareness. The stigma is still too real. And we’re all so busy, we seldom take the time to pause and check in with ourselves: ‘How am I really coping right now?’”
A Global Movement Taking Flight
Mental health support in aviation is gaining recognition at the highest levels. International coalitions such as IPAAC (the International Coalition for Peer-Assisted Aviation) are advocating for structured, proactive mental health responses across every facet of the industry, from pilots and cabin crew to air traffic controllers and maintenance staff.
But it’s not just advocacy; research is helping shape these programs. The University of Washington, for instance, recently completed studies on the psychological challenges faced by aircrew and controllers working in isolated or high-pressure roles. One finding stood out: a large percentage of individuals avoided reporting medical, and especially mental health, conditions due to fears about losing their medical certification and, by extension, their careers.
“This creates an unsafe silence,” explains Jaco. “People hide their challenges when what we need is a safe, trusted space for them to speak up, without fear of punishment.”
The ‘Safe Haven’ Approach: A New Model of Trust
One of the most progressive global solutions is the Safe Haven project, initiated by aviation mental health leaders such as Dr. Tim Sprott. The model is refreshingly simple, yet powerful: If you’re dealing with a health challenge, let us know:
- Who is your peer support contact?
- Who is your medical provider?
- What are you doing to manage it?
Then, unless it’s a safety-critical issue, you continue to work, while being supported and monitored. “It’s about trust,” Jaco says. “Trusting professionals to manage their own wellness, with the right support.”
The Safe Haven model has been proposed formally to ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organisation), where multiple global bodies are advocating for its adoption. Their goal is to help countries create non-judgmental, confidential support programs, underpinned by ICAO’s frameworks, to encourage reporting and remove the stigma around seeking help.
Changing Culture, Championing Openness
One of the most stubborn obstacles to progress is stigma, the fear that admitting vulnerability might cost your job, licence, or reputation. But Mayday-SA is flipping the script. “We’re turning those who speak up into safety heroes,” says Jaco. “They’re not weak, they’re courageous. They’re putting safety above pride. And that deserves recognition.” Mayday-SA has even started capturing these stories, with permission, to show others that it’s not only okay to seek help, but essential to the industry’s long-term wellbeing.
“We need more of this kind of role-modelling. It’s not about fixing broken people. It’s about acknowledging that aviation professionals are human, and even the best need support sometimes.”
The Power of Pause and Proactive Wellness
Asked about the best proactive steps to support mental wellbeing, Jaco doesn’t hesitate: “Routine and healthy habits, although incredibly difficult in aviation, are key. But so is simply pausing. Taking a moment to reflect and check in with yourself.” He continues: “People ask when to reach out to a peer. The answer is: any time. You don’t have to be in crisis. Just feeling out of balance, overwhelmed, uncertain, that’s enough. And often, a simple conversation can make all the difference.”
Peer support, he reminds us, is just the first layer. Sometimes referral to professional care is necessary. That’s why Mayday-SA works with aviation-literate psychologists and specialists to ensure individuals are not misdiagnosed or prematurely disqualified from duty. “Understanding the realities of our industry is vital,” he says. “It’s not like a 9–5 job. The stakes and stressors are different.”
The Long-Term Vision for Africa’s Aviation Wellbeing
So what’s the long-term vision for South Africa, and the continent? “First, de-stigmatisation. People must know it’s okay not to be okay. Second, a network of support, from peer level to professional. Third, mental health literacy, people knowing their own triggers, and how to manage them. And finally, listening. When someone opens up, they must be heard, not brushed aside.” In the end, Jaco ties it all back to the bigger picture: safety. “The better our aviation professionals are doing, mentally, physically, emotionally, the safer our industry becomes. This is not an HR issue. This is a core part of Safety Management, and it fits squarely into ICAO’s Annex 19 framework.” “We are all responsible, not just to each other, but to the flying public. This is the human side of safety. And it matters.”
Mayday-SA offers 24-hour access via a helpline, with responses typically within two hours and follow-up support initiated within six. Support is offered both online and in person, depending on the situation. Whether it’s a peer struggling with training, someone dealing with a diagnosis, or a team needing support after an incident, Mayday-SA is there, quietly, confidentially, and without judgment.
