How Does the Aviation Industry Make Decisions When Certainty Doesn’t Exist?
Conference
2026-01-30 | 11:30 AM - 12:10 PM | Anantara Hotel - Theophil Ballroom
In aviation, uncertainty isn’t an exception – it’s the operating environment. Flights rarely depart with perfect information, conditions change constantly, and decisions still have to be made calmly, clearly, and at pace.
Drawing on her experience as a commercial airline captain, Emma Henderson explores how the aviation industry plans for uncertainty, makes high-stakes decisions without complete data, and creates enough stability for people and performance to thrive in complex systems.
Rather than presenting aviation as a metaphor, this session treats it as a live operating system – one that offers powerful lessons for global industries facing volatility, long lead times, fixed costs, technological change, and increasing pressure to act decisively.
The focus is not on new frameworks, but on how leaders sharpen judgement, understand what they truly control, and move forward with confidence when waiting for certainty is no longer an option.
This session will challenge how leaders think about uncertainty, decision-making, and long-term investment – and why clarity, communication, and human connection matter even more when the data is incomplete.
