Aviation Safety

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Aviation Safety

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Oster, Strong and Zorn are renowned scholars who have specialized in analyzing safety systems in various aspects of human life. Having witnessed various aircraft accidents, this work is well known since its release followed a series of safety mishaps that scarred the image of the aviation industry, especially the occurrence of 9/11. The article is an insightful study of the safety records of commercial aviation while proposing changes to existing lapses.

The authors think that airline safety standards are mostly compromised by human error rather than equipment malfunction. In most instances, poor maintenance structures have contributed to this problem hence exposing passengers, crew, and other stakeholders to great danger. It is their opinion that the financial position of an airline is a factor that drives costly cost cutting measures, which result in a series of mistakes that lead to the occurrence of accidents. Such a phenomenon is prevalent in developing countries as compared to European nations as well (Oster, Strong and Zorn 156). Terrorism is another significant cause of this problem according to the above authors and they especially single out large scheduled commercial airline services as the most affected.

Increasing levels of screening in airports is seen as a viable option of limiting the carriage of deadly weapons and bombs. They also propose that pilots and cabin crews need to undergo regular training sessions to enhance their safety skills. Licensing options also need to be limited by strict regulations in order to employ competent people while the scholars consider advancements in technology as helpful in improving aircrafts’ capability to handle extreme pressure conditions. By so doing, they believe fatalities would be reduced and accidents will be minimal thereby making air travel still the safest mode of transport globally.

It is a fascinating piece that offers accurate accident records tracing back to the last two decades. The sequence of events is chronological and some of the aviation lingo used is explained such as the go around being an aborted landing of an aeroplane during its final approach due to safety concerns. As such, the interpretations about the causes of aviation accidents are sound and even the recommendations are practical as well as necessary.

It is noteworthy that the variance between accidents in developed countries and in developing nations is huge but the amount of numerical data is insightful in understanding the veracity of the problem. The organization of the article is admirable too especially the segment on dealing with commercial airline activities in the US because it is exhaustive. As such, the authors’ views are agreeable because terrorism has become a big threat to air travel prompting a massive overhaul of the sector globally. While better equipment can tackle the malfunctions, it is incumbent upon the pilots to avoid unhealthy lifestyle changes that nay hinder their work as well (Belobaba, Amedeo and Barnhart 329). Critics who have previously argued against the resistance to abandoning air travel now believe that despite the accidents, it is still the safest mode of transport and human intervention is vital in maintaining this trend rather than the upgrade of machines alone.

Aviation safety is a major world concern due to the volume of traffic and costs involved. In most instances, many people agree that human error is the cause hence the article reinforces this notion and the recommendations contained therein are viable in making flying safer.

Works Cited

Belobaba, Peter, Amedeo  Odoni, and Cynthia Barnhart. The Global Airline Industry. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley, 2016. Print.

Oster, Clinton, John Strong and Kurt Zorn. Analyzing Aviation Safety: Problems, Challenges, Opportunities. Research in Transportation Economics, 43(2013): 148-164. Print.