Adaptation can be defined as making appropriate responses to changing situations while adaptability enables people to recognize and adapt fluidly to unexpected characteristics of a situation. Commercial aircraft operations and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are complex and tightly coupled systems moving passengers and cargo with safety and regularity worldwide. Although they are highly scripted environments, adaptation remains one of the most-valued concepts. In this line of reasoning, we explored the concept of adaptation in the commercial aircraft operations and the ATC through the lens of Resilience Engineering and Naturalistic Decision Making. We developed a model and a set of adaptation elements (i.e. a toolbox for adaptation). Our aim was to explore the nature of adaptation as a source of resilience in the commercial aircraft operations and the ATC and develop a practical toolbox with wider applications in diverse organizations and challenging situations.