Introduction
In recent years, the aviation industry has undergone many changes to enhance its service provision across all industries. Several advanced technologies have been implemented in this field, maximizing customer experience and safety in commercial flights. Plans are in place for the airline business to grow and expand further in the future due to the new technological ideas developed. This white paper discusses the impact of automation on aviation and human capital management in the coming years and the possible solutions to the negative experiences likely to be encountered. With flight computerization, the requirement of human interference is getting reduced faster, drastically affecting the operators’ jobs.
Impact of Aviation Automation and the Effects on Human Capital
Automation in the Airline Industry
The Flight department has been growing due to the incorporation of mechanization. Various processes in this field are going through automation, increasing their effectiveness. The benefits outweigh the shortcomings, thus indicating their introduction of being vital. According to Banks et al. (2019), a perfect example of the benefits is the computerization of air traffic control systems. With this, the weather conditions rea easily detected, thus reducing the possibility of air crashes and collisions. Wagner (2019) states that for the future performing of dynamic and highly complex tasks with ease, all airlines need to embrace automation. Mechanization in the operations process is crucial and has become the number one focus of airline service providers who aim to integrate different onboard technologies (Beresnevicius, 2019). Most flights consider human factors, flight management systems, and pilot and computer interfaces (Beresnevicius, 2019). It is now possible to autopilot, thus reducing fatigue, and have automated warnings that help the pilot check and monitor the aircraft from within the cockpit.
Managing Human Capital
Airline service providers are experiencing many benefits, including better awareness of the satiation and lower operating cost, as computers, not humans, do most tasks. The work of many aircraft administrators will be taken as a result of the new technologies introduced in the aircraft industry. Most operators’ work will shift from performers to observers (Raimi, 2021). The implications of mechanization on employment occur in two phases, the loss, and creation of job opportunities. Di Giacomo and Lerch (2022) state that the most likely individuals to get job losses due to flight robotization are the less educated. The category is often employed in routine occupations that a robot can perform. Consequently, job creation requires specific skills that will facilitate the interaction of humans and machines (Di Giacomo & Lerch, 2022). Adopting flight mechanization technologies is shaping the future of labor markets as it creates new job occupations.
Proposed Solution
Human intervention is to be expected, especially when an automation malfunction occurs. As a result, aeronautics needs to consider the manual operation of the flights (Raimi, 2021). Despite embracing autopilot, the traditional mode of airplane flying should be considered. Pilots should be fully educated on handling an aircraft when it fails to operate normally. The presence of an engineer is crucial when flying, especially when the integrated technology detects a potential malfunction, as they are the ones to correct the errors (Di Flumeri et al., 2019). Performance measurement and training should be done to limit and prevent potential setbacks that may lead to plane accidents that are always catastrophic (Beresnevicius, 2019). Flight crew attendants need to get training on the new integrated technology to facilitate easy coordination with the machines (Di Flumeri et al., 2019). With additional study, the required skills that facilitate understanding the new automation will be presented.
Conclusion
The introduction of robotics in aviation has been rising in recent years. Technology has made flying easier, faster, and more convenient with few setbacks experienced. With the mechanization of many aspects of flying, most individuals have lost and are expected to lose more jobs. In contrast, there is the creation of new opportunities that require specific skills. The proposed solutions to the identified shortcomings include embracing manual aircraft control in case of malfunctions, performance measurement, and new personnel training. New technologies bring new challenges that need to be learned to be understood.
References
Banks, V. A., Plant, K. L., & Stanton, N. A. (2019). Driving aviation forward; contrasting driving automation and aviation automation. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 20(3), 250–264. Web.
Beresnevicius, R. (2019). Automation in the aviation industry – the future is automated. AeroTime. Web.
Di Flumeri, G., De Crescenzio, F., Berberian, B., Ohneiser, O., Kramer, J., Aricò, P., Borghini, G., Babiloni, F., Bagassi, S., & Piastra, S. (2019). Brain–computer interface-based adaptive automation to prevent an out-of-the-loop phenomenon in air traffic controllers dealing with highly automated systems. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13(3), 12–23. Web.
Di Giacomo, G., & Lerch, B. (2022). The importance of human capital in the era of automation. USAPP; LSE. Web.
Raimi, L. (2021). Human capital development through reinventing, retooling, and Reskilling Strategies. Human Capital Development Through Reinventing, Retooling and Reskilling Strategies |Atlantis Press. Web.
Wagner, D. N. (2020). Augmented human-centered management Human resource development for highly automated business environments. Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(1), 13–23. Web.