Development and validation of a perceived aviation risk scale: evidence from public samples

Purpose The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to assess individuals’ perceptions of aviation safety and risk. Although aviation is considered a sector requiring high reliability, subjective perceptions of safety and risk are important for understanding the human factors that influence trust, behavior and decision-making processes in aviation systems. However, empirically validated and context-specific scales addressing aviation risk perception are limited in the literature. The proposed scale adopts a perception-based assessment perspective and does not aim to provide an objective engineering evaluation of aviation system performance, but rather to capture how aviation safety and risk are cognitively interpreted by individuals within complex socio-technical environments. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quantitative scale development design. An initial pool of items was created based on a comprehensive review of the aviation safety, risk perception and human factors literature. Following expert evaluation and pilot testing, data were collected from 386 participants using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to examine the construct validity of the scale. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and item-total correlations. Findings The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a robust two-dimensional structure consisting of Safety Awareness and Risk Perception. The final 14-item scale demonstrated strong construct validity and high internal consistency. The findings indicate that individuals’ perceptions of aviation safety are shaped by both institutional safety mechanisms and subjective evaluations of operational risks. The scale provides a reliable framework for identifying perceived vulnerabilities in civil aviation systems and for supporting evidence-based safety management and risk communication strategies. Originality/value This study introduces a context-specific and empirically validated measurement tool that integrates safety awareness and risk perception within a unified framework. By capturing both technical and human-centered dimensions of aviation safety, the Aviation Risk Scale offers a novel contribution to civil aviation risk assessment and supports proactive safety governance and resilience-oriented management practices.