can i still work in aviation?
 

Hi guys...

I'm trying to seek for some help here ....
I was arrested once for forgetting to pay in a store, (it was food and cost around 20usd)
The police brought me to police station and the court, but i was not convicted, and I do not own a criminal record.
(As the court granted me a bind-over.)

I'm just wondering....
If i was arrested once but i do not have criminal record, can i still work in aviation? (As pilot/ flight attendant?)
As far as i checked, the company only asked if I have criminal record in the application form, can they still check my 'arrested record' out?
And will it affect my further applications on visas/ crew member certificates?

Appreciate for your reply!

Which country do you live in ? I'm guessing the USA if the food was in USD, but jurisdiction is important - some countries are more forgiving of mistakes than others.
Were you deemed legally a child or adult at the time of this happening ? Again, some countries allow for the mistakes of youth in not influencing the rest of one's future life

True. There was a Cabin Manager, at an airline I used to work for, who murdered his parents when he was below the age of criminal responsibility (at the time, in his country). He won some TV game show many years later and was outed due public interest as a contestant. The airline then sacked him for not declaring his “criminal” history. He appealed the dismissal and won his case, on the grounds stated. During return to work refresher training, which was required due to his prolonged absence, he took to social media and made some anti company remarks. That was sufficient to ensure his second dismissal (for Gross Misconduct) stuck.

A bit late to the party here, but an arrest and conviction are two very different things. I’ve known a few pilots in my time who have actual convictions (theft, DUI, etc.) and they’re still employed after having served the requisite sentence. If you were only arrested, then you can confidently answer “no” to the question. If the company requires a security clearance, you could be upfront, but honestly it’s none of their business without a conviction.

In many cases, the criminal conviction question is used only to narrow the candidate pool; That’s how some of my previous companies used the question.

In other cases, it’s because the company flies clients with specific requests or otherwise requires security clearances. For example, a corporate gig may require a background check because the client owns a company that has government contracts. That security clearance may require a certain number of “clean” years.