Foreign Language Translation,
and the Language Barriers
While Flying

Home > Blog > Foreign Language Translation, and the Language Barriers While Flying

Technical Translation Services for Aviation Industry

Language barriers can be very costly for businesses–jeopardizing human lives and increasing business’s liability.  Professional translation and interpreting services help alleviate many risks.  Take, for instance, the case of the rapidly growing field of Business Aviation, or Executive Aircraft.  What most people do not realize when looking at purchasing a new business jet is that international aviation law, in general, has not evolved in a way that meets today’s borderless demands.  Let’s look at the issue of language…
Although when flying across the United States for business this is not an issue, it becomes a very big issue when traveling abroad.  In Europe, where just a few minutes of flight time will put you into another country’s airspace, languages change rapidly. Even though at the commercial level, where large airports are used, the business is moving quickly towards using English as a universal operating language, this is not the case in Business and General Aviation.

Since Business and General Aviation use smaller, more remote airports, air traffic control will often operate in their native tongue and expect the pilots to do so as well. Even if English is spoken, when it is not the native language of air traffic controller, many terms and instructions do not get communicated clearly. And when instructions get lost in translation, safety is jeopardized.

Although there is no easy-fix solution to this situation, a beneficial step will be to advise your clients to hire a foreign language interpreter to assist with the aviation regulations and requirements of each foreign language locale they will be flying into. From doing foreign language translations of air route and airport instructions to even conducting real-time foreign language translation and interpretation, this will better protect your client from the many liabilities that can arise from an inability to communicate while flying.

Up Next: Translation Issues in Cross-Border Contract Law: Which Foreign Language to Use?