Civil aviation is associated with the potential danger of an aircraft accident, whether an engine failure, a structural failure, or an act of terrorism. In either case, an aircraft encountering such a problem will likely crash, resulting in many human and resource casualties. Although the trend of airplane crashes has been on a downward trend since the 1980s, and statistics estimate that the probability of dying in such a crash is 1 in 3.4 billion, the increasing popularity and availability of civil aviation, as well as increasing geopolitical tensions due to the development of terrorist communities, poses severe obstacles to the industry (Summer, 2022). Each such incident becomes a severe blow to the airline industry, which finds itself forced to pay compensation, deal with losses due to aircraft destruction, and experience a drop in public loyalty. This paper discusses the major problems and obstacles an airline faces in the context of measures to protect the facility (aircraft) from disaster threats.
The primary problem is always the lack of effective interagency communication. An airline’s work is a set of tasks handled jointly by the firm’s employees, security, airport, and dispatch personnel. The large number of parties involved makes it possible to delegate responsibility but also creates a communication barrier since not all information can be transmitted between the participants on time. Withholding or neglecting such information is a serious threat to aircraft safety. The example of the Boeing 737-Max, which had two significant crashes within one year because Boeing executives did not adequately address information about MCAS system deficiencies from engineers, is an illustrative tragic example of this (Prahl et al., 2022). If communication is not well established during normal times, in the event of an incident, agencies must effectively cooperate in responding and resolving the situation, which creates doubts about such effectiveness.
Another critical obstacle for airlines is active technological progress. Indeed, with the massive implementation of digital technology, flight safety has improved significantly, as every action and deviation of the aircraft during flight is automatically analyzed and reported (Meyer et al., 2020). However, this digitalization has led to a cybersecurity problem, as suicide bombers can take advantage of system vulnerabilities and control the aircraft by influencing its course. At the same time, the aircraft’s electronic devices could malfunction, leading to control failures and potential downfall. In the context of aviation crash terrorism, modern airports have become increasingly complex and expanded, which to some extent, reduces security controls and creates potential opportunities for unauthorized intrusion by intruders, and large crowds can be used as a convenient method of terrorist intimidation.
Thus, modern aviation is expanding considerably, and such progress is associated with a potential coordination barrier. The agencies must ensure constant transparent and effective communication, instantly relaying important information and responding to changes. However, the lack of such communication establishes a problem that can lead to aviation accidents and loss of life.
References
Meyer, H., Zimdahl, J., Kamtsiuris, A., Meissner, R., Raddatz, F., Haufe, S., & Bäßler, M. (2020). Development of a digital twin for aviation research [PDF document]. Web.
Prahl, A., Leung, R. K. H., & Chua, A. N. S. (2022). Fight for flight: The narratives of human versus machine following two aviation tragedies. Human-Machine Communication, 4, 27-42.
Summer, J. (2022). Plane crash statistics. FlyFright. Web.