Overview
Ground your leadership foundation with Aviation Leadership Fundamentals, the first course in the Aviation Leadership Certificate. You'll begin by examining Canada’s safety-critical aviation environment and the responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges that shape leadership across the sector. You’ll also look at how Transport Canada regulations and Safety Management System (SMS) principles influence decision-making, communication, and team culture across airlines, airports, and aviation service providers.
To support this learning, the course is delivered online over four weeks and combines independent study with a mandatory two-hour virtual group session every week. Through guided readings, case analyses, and facilitated dialogue, you'll explore workforce trends, leadership gaps, and succession challenges across aviation, from operational teams to corporate functions such as planning, guest experience, and airport affairs.
Reflection will be central to your learning. As you assess your leadership readiness, explore your coaching and feedback style, and develop a philosophy rooted in aviation values of safety, precision, collaboration, and operational excellence, you begin to integrate these insights into your development. This work leads you to define your propelling question, a real aviation challenge that connects your context to broader industry needs and guides your learning across the certificate. With AI CoPilot support as a thinking partner, you’ll begin capturing your reflections and early ideas in your Leadership Engine Blueprint, the working template you will build throughout the program.
By course end, you'll have identified your strengths and growth areas, along with practical strategies you can apply immediately. You'll also have a strong foundation for the work ahead as you continue your journey through the program.
This course is ideal if you:
- work in aviation and want to strengthen your leadership foundation within Canada’s regulatory and safety culture
- are preparing for supervisory or management roles and need a clearer pathway into leadership
- hold a technical or operational role and want to begin developing people-leadership skills
- lead or support aviation teams and want consistent approaches across operational and corporate functions
- want to contribute to leadership succession and workforce development across Canada’s aviation sector.
There are no eligibility requirements for this course. Any education or work experience in aviation will further enrich your professional development journey.
Upon successful completion of this course, you'll be able to:
- analyze the unique leadership challenges and opportunities within Canada’s aviation sector, including succession challenges across operational and corporate functions
- examine how aviation regulatory frameworks and safety culture inform leadership practices across diverse aviation roles within Canada’s regulatory context
- assess your personal leadership readiness and begin developing a pragmatic philosophy that reflects aviation values and addresses workforce challenges.
To request a course outline, contact ConEdAdvising@sait.ca.
If you're certified by a professional association, this course may qualify for continuing professional development (CPD) hours to help maintain your certifications/designations. It may also qualify for Blue Seal Certificate training hours. Please check with your association to confirm eligibility.
Upcoming dates
Select an available section and add it to your cart. When you're ready, proceed to check out to sign into your student account and complete your registration.
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Registration closes seven days before the start date for on-campus, online scheduled, and blended courses, and one day before the start date for online self-paced courses.
After you've completed this course
Upon successful completion of this course, you'll be able to self-print a proof of completion document from your Continuing Education student account.
Costs
Textbook and reading list
Included in the purchase of this course, you'll receive access to online course content in Brightspace (D2L).
Technology
To be successful in this course, you’ll need:
- Access to your own computer or laptop with standard hardware/software requirements
- Functional webcam and microphone
- Internet access
Financial support
Financial opportunities are available to help pay for your course fees. Learn more about how to reduce your education or training costs with available awards, bursaries, loans and grants, including the Canada Alberta Productivity Grant.
Applicable certificates
This course applies to the following certificate programs:
- Certification type
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Certificate of Completion
Train your team
Interested in group training opportunities for this course? Tell us about your organization's needs, and one of our training consultants will contact you within one business day.
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.