The fear of boarding an airplane today is well founded. Practically everyone associates the fear of flying with the feeling that the plane will crash. They may have a valid point; because now, most commercial airlines have removed two engines from their planes. This, in the interests of reducing fuel costs, has put passenger safety at risk. A good example occurred in January 2009 when a commercial airliner with only two engines shut down during the climb, forcing that plane to make a miraculous landing in the Hudson River. If there were four motors mounted, the decibel level would have been high enough to scare birds and other faults further so that what caused those motors to fail would not have happened. Only through the skill and knowledge of the pilot and crew was a tragedy heralded.
This is just one great example of how the commercial airline industry has cut costs rather than public safety. Today, with the ever-increasing demand to keep profit margins stable and the ongoing threat of terrorism, commercial airlines and the government have instituted protocols, procedures, rules, regulations, and mandates that the general public now find very intimidating. and overwhelming when it comes time to book, board, and fly. Additionally, this dilemma facing the airline industry is compounded by the growing number of people who are so obese that passenger seats on full-size aircraft are too small to accommodate those passengers. This is because airlines have continually revamped commercial jets to include more passenger seating. Another ploy to increase revenue while reducing passenger safety and comfort. Recently, some airlines have started to replace their outdated planes for a long time. Most airlines continue to use aircraft that are more than 20 years old. This has to be a major security issue.
Gone are the days when airlines treated all their passengers as guests on a luxury ocean liner; where the friendship and service from the crew was exemplary. Many of the friendships, such as food and drinks, were included, as well as her luggage, in the purchase price of her ticket. What has happened in the last 30 years is a complete elimination of the kinds of services that made air travel a pleasure. Replaced with a basic service one would expect when traveling in a crowded subway car at rush hour. Some airlines are going even further by dashing any hope that air travel will bring pleasure back to passenger service. They are now implementing vertical seating {a new terminology} where passengers now book airfare just to stand. This means that some airlines are now putting their profits even higher above the safety and well-being of passengers. Imagine a meter because so crowded people are tied up like sardines in a can. The very idea of traveling in this way is overwhelming. Sad to say, this is a reality offered by some commercial airlines today.
Anytime an industry blatantly puts financial gain before safety, that industry will incur a greater financial loss and the respect of the general public. Does BP and the Gulf oil disaster sound familiar? What the commercial airline industry has inadvertently done with all those extra fees, the continued use of outdated aircraft, a lack of friendships, and the continually rising cost of tickets is rendering the commercial aviation industry incapable of contributing. importantly to the economic expansion that is so crucial. for the economic recovery of the United States.
To understand the fear of flying in today’s world, one must realize that with the constant threat of terrorism [a real eminent threat to any one who travels regardless of the particular mode of transport] the new rules, procedures and regulations instituted are in place to help us be more secure. They also help deter people who are bent on causing devastation and harm to the public. Still, many view these new protocols as intrusive and infringing on our social freedoms. A very sad comment on the world we live in today.
What the commercial aviation industry needs to do is streamline all of those new regulations by addressing and regaining the attitude of putting passenger comfort and safety over profit. That old saying in business “Give the public what they want at a price they can afford, repeat business is assured.” This same philosophy should apply to the commercial airline industry. Even with the security measures that are in place now, the fear of flying could be reduced and more people will experience a renewed sense of pleasure and safety when traveling by plane.