Why is English considered the language of the sky?

During the mid-twentieth century when air travel was becoming more common, English-speaking countries dominated the design and manufacturing of aircraft, as well as much of their operations. So at a 1944 convention in Chicago aiming to resolve some of the problems of air travel at the time, they established English as the language of aviation. The aim was to help avoid misunderstanding and confusion over the radio and between international crews.

Although air travel is now much more widespread, with many non-English speaking countries participating in air transportation, English still persists as the language of the skies. There are a few arguments why English is still a good choice in aviation. For a start, English is a much-used language when it comes to international communications. It’s the official language of several major global institutions, it’s the accepted language of the scientific community, and it’s the most-learned language in the world.

Of course, the most important thing is for all participants in air traffic communications to communicate clearly. It’s unimportant whether that happens in English, French, or Spanish--the language itself is less important than its clarity.

What gives English intrinsic value as the language of aviation is the characteristics that provide clear communication in air transport. There’s an argument that English is a pretty egalitarian language, one that doesn’t waste time on civilities or honorifics. There’s some anecdotal evidence that this lack of recognition of authority may be beneficial in high-pressure situations. The Korean language, for example, requires the speaker to address seniors using more convoluted language--something that’s not always beneficial in a crisis moment. It’s thought the deference between a junior pilot and a senior one may have been a factor in a 2013 air crash.

There are some dangers associated with operating in a second language, with added risks of misunderstanding and the need to overcome accent issues. But there’s also some evidence that people follow more logical and less emotional decision-making processes when they speak a second language. Possibly this may be an advantage when dealing with the high-pressure world of aviation communications. Ultimately, the argument for English in aviation is that it’s a common second language around the world. It doesn’t look as if it will ever be replaced as the language of flight, although it’s clear that the industry still needs to improve standards of communication.