This study examines how job demands and job resources influence job satisfaction within the commercial aviation industry. Building on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theoretical framework and conservation of resources perspectives, the paper develops an integrative model that links objective and subjective job demands (e.g., workload, fatigue, emotional labor, rostering pressure) and job resources (e.g., supervisory support, autonomy, training, adequate staffing) to two proximal psychological states burnout and work engagement and to the distal outcome of job satisfaction. The introduction situates the investigation in the distinct operational, safety-critical, and post-pandemic context of aviation, where demand fluctuations, cost pressures and workforce shortages have intensified psychosocial risks. Drawing on recent empirical findings from pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians and ground staff, the paper (1) synthesises current evidence on demand–resource pathways affecting satisfaction, safety behaviour and retention; (2) proposes testable hypotheses about direct effects, mediation (via burnout and engagement) and moderation (buffering by job resources and personal resources); and (3) outlines a mixed-methods empirical strategy for validating the model across occupational groups and regions. Implications for theory include refining the JD-R model for safety-critical, irregular-schedule environments; practical implications emphasise targeted resource investments, rostering redesign, fatigue mitigation, and continuous professional development as mechanisms to protect satisfaction and safety. The paper closes by offering research priorities and prescriptive interventions for aviation managers and regulators seeking to stabilise workforce wellbeing without compromising operational safety or efficiency.