tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/aviation-560/articlesAviation – La Conversation2024-03-17T12:53:32Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256522024-03-17T12:53:32Z2024-03-17T12:53:32ZWhat the Boeing whistleblower’s death reveals about exposing corporate wrongdoing in North America<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582057/original/file-20240314-30-19fe3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C22%2C4950%2C3277&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In 2019, a number of current and former Boeing employees went public with concerns about the company's manufacturing and safety processes.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A former Boeing employee who raised concerns about the company’s safety and production standards <a href="https://www.counton2.com/news/national-news/boeing-whistleblower-who-raised-production-concerns-found-dead-at-62//">was found dead on March 9 before he could provide his final deposition</a> in an ongoing lawsuit against Boeing. John Barnett died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10353532/boeing-whistleblower-dead-john-barnett-lawsuit/">according to police</a>. </p>
<p>For more than three decades, Barnett worked at Boeing, including as a quality manager at a <a href="https://www.live5news.com/2024/03/12/brave-honest-man-boeing-whistleblowers-attorneys-release-statement-his-death/">North Charleston, S.C. plant</a>, which manufactures the 787 Dreamliner. In 2019, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/20/business/boeing-dreamliner-production-problems.html">Barnett and a dozen other workers blew the whistle on Boeing in a <em>New York Times</em></a> story, claiming its manufacturing processes prioritized speed over public safety. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/former-boeing-whistleblower-found-dead-from-apparent-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound-1.6805965">Boeing denied the claims of unsafe work practices</a>, recent audits have confirmed that quality control issues exist. The Federal Aviation Administration released the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/12/us-news/faa-audit-of-boeings-737-production-found-mechanics-using-hotel-card-and-dish-soap-as-makeshift-tools-report/">results of a recent investigation showing numerous non-compliance issues</a>. </p>
<p>Boeing’s planes have recently caught media attention for a series of technical problems. These incidents include a <a href="https://theconversation.com/boeing-needs-to-get-real-the-737-max-should-probably-be-scrapped-221023">door blowing off a plane soon after takeoff from Portland on Jan. 5</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/passenger-video-shows-flames-shoot-united-airlines-engine-midflight-rcna142217">planes making emergency landings</a> due to mechanical issues, and, on March 11, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/50-people-injured-strong-movement-boeing-flight-new-zealand-rcna142405">50 passengers sustaining injuries</a> on a Boeing plane due to a sudden loss of elevation.</p>
<h2>The costs of whistleblowing</h2>
<p>Barnett’s death sadly appears to <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/20/death-of-a-whistleblower-suicide-pentagon-office-inspector-general/">fit into an established pattern</a>. Whistleblowers face intense public scrutiny, and, frequently, retaliation after going public. According to a recent study, <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-89">82 per cent of whistleblowers face some level of retaliation from their employer after leaking information</a>, including harassment or dismissal.</p>
<p>Aside from retaliation, whistleblowers also frequently lose their sense of community after coming forward. </p>
<p>Corporate work culture makes choosing between duty and loyalty emotionally complicated. For many people, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024166">work largely informs their identity</a>. Their workplace is their community and their work ethic often merges personal achievement with professional values. They become emotionally invested in the culture, structure and daily dramas of their workplace. </p>
<p>When whistleblowers go public, they make an overt choice to separate from this community. More to the point, they represent that community — or a portion of it — as unethical or criminal. As such, former colleagues whose identity is wrapped up in their work <a href="https://psic-ispc.gc.ca/en/resources/corporate-publications/sound-silence">may feel betrayed by the whistleblower</a>.</p>
<p>Even members of the public may critique whistleblowers as disloyal and attention-seeking. But this is not a fair characterization.</p>
<h2>Duty versus loyalty: A false dichotomy</h2>
<p>Even after coming forward and facing public attention and resentment, research indicates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840619880565">many whistleblowers continue to define themselves through their work community</a>, relying on it for their sense of identity and belonging.</p>
<p>Many whistleblowers speak out because they are particularly invested in their work community’s ideals and their profession’s standards. This suggests the choice between public duty and professional loyalty is a false dichotomy. For whistleblowers, their duty to the public and their loyalty to their professional standards are one and the same. </p>
<p>For Barnett, this seems to have been particularly true; his public duty and professional loyalty were not at odds. Seeking to protect the public, Barnett demonstrated a commitment to a better future for his colleagues and the firm he worked at for 32 years.</p>
<p>In the wake of Barnett’s passing, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boeing-whistleblowers-case-go-posthumously-attorney-says-rcna143001">his lawyers said</a>: </p>
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<p>“John was a brave, honest man of the highest integrity. He cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft. We have rarely met someone with a more sincere and forthright character.”</p>
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<h2>Whistleblowers in the public eye</h2>
<p>As public figures, whistleblowers not only face retaliation from their employers, but also ire from the public. They often find themselves caught in a tangled web of cultural, social and professional values. </p>
<p>Public discussion pits duty against loyalty, presenting whistleblowers as martyrs or snitches. Many <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellypope/2018/12/26/the-truth-about-whistle-blowers/?sh=422782db6a9b">see whistleblowers as “tattle tales” or “rats”</a> that betray their employers to seek status, financial reward or validation.</p>
<p>A recent whistleblower award in the United States saw an anonymous informant receive <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-89">US$279 million dollars</a> — the largest award ever granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This fell under the <a href="https://www.sec.gov/files/dodd-frank-sec-922.pdf">Dodd-Frank Act</a>, which guarantees would-be whistleblowers a bounty equalling 10 to 30 per cent of monetary sanctions collected.</p>
<p>The policy provides an incentive for whistleblowers to speak up, as well as confidentiality protection for vulnerable employees. However, monetary reward and secrecy, particularly in the context of enforcement, serves as <a href="https://www.integrityline.com/expertise/blog/ethics-behind-whistleblower-rewards/">fruitful ground for public speculation</a> on whistleblowers’ motives.</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum are those who see whistleblowers as heroes that put themselves at risk to call out unethical practices and protect others from harm. In films like <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8236336/">The Report</a></em>, <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6294822">The Post</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322">Dark Waters</a></em>, Hollywood depicts whistleblowers as impassioned heroes standing up to clearly villainous conspiracies. In real life, of course, the experience is much murkier. </p>
<p>Consider <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2445276799">Kathe Swanson</a>, the town clerk in Dixon, Ill., who blew the whistle on comptroller Rita Crundwell. <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/rita-crundwell-stole-54-million-then-returned-to-the-scene-of-the-crime/">Crundwell embezzled US$54 million over more than 20 years</a> to finance her extravagant lifestyle. Accounting professor Kelly Richmond Pope positions Swanson’s actions as heroic, arguing <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_richmond_pope_how_whistle_blowers_shape_history?language=en">Swanson went public not for fame or financial reward, but because she felt it was the right thing to do</a>.</p>
<h2>Holding power to account</h2>
<p>Our culture ultimately relies on whistleblowers to hold powerful organizations and individuals accountable. </p>
<p>The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ <a href="https://legacy.acfe.com/report-to-the-nations/2022/">2022 Report to the Nation</a> found that a significant number of fraud cases reported in North America — 42 per cent — were detected as a result of whistleblower tips. More than half of those tips were made by an organization’s own employees.</p>
<p>Whistleblowers play a crucial role in upholding accountability and integrity within our society. We do not, however, make it easy for them. </p>
<p>By supporting the efforts of whistleblowers and recognizing the personal and professional risks they take, we may begin to foster a culture that values transparency, ethical conduct and accountability, strengthening our institutions as a whole.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Whistleblowers play a crucial role in upholding accountability and integrity within our society. We do not, however, make it easy for them.Thomas Stuart, Lecturer in Communications, Gustavson School of Business, University of VictoriaDouglas A. Stuart, Assistant Teaching Professor, Gustavson School of Business, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256752024-03-14T05:47:43Z2024-03-14T05:47:43ZShould you be concerned about flying on Boeing planes?<p>The American aerospace giant Boeing has been synonymous with safe air travel for decades. Since the 1990s, Boeing and its European competitor Airbus have dominated the market for large passenger jets. </p>
<p>But this year, Boeing has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. In January, an emergency door plug <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/alaska-airlines-let-boeing-max-fly-despite-warning-signals">blew off a Boeing 737 MAX</a> in mid flight, triggering an investigation from United States federal regulators. </p>
<p>More recently, we have seen a Boeing plane lose a tyre while taking off, another flight turned back as the plane was leaking fluid, an apparent engine fire, a landing gear collapse, a stuck rudder pedal, and a plane “dropping” in flight and <a href="https://theconversation.com/latam-flight-800-just-dropped-in-mid-flight-injuring-dozens-an-expert-explores-what-happened-and-how-to-keep-yourself-safe-225554">injuring dozens of passengers</a>. A Boeing engineer who had raised concerns regarding quality control during the manufacturing process on the company’s 787 and 737 MAX planes also <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68534703">died earlier this week</a>, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. </p>
<p>As members of the travelling public, should we be concerned? Well, yes and no.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/boeing-door-plug-blowout-highlights-a-possible-crisis-of-competence-an-aircraft-safety-expert-explains-221069">Boeing door plug blowout highlights a possible crisis of competence − an aircraft safety expert explains</a>
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<h2>Many problems, but not all can be blamed on Boeing</h2>
<p>The recent parade of events has certainly been dramatic – but not all of them can be blamed on Boeing. Five incidents occurred on aircraft owned and operated by United Airlines and were related to factors outside the manufacturer’s control, like maintenance issues, potential foreign object debris, and possible human error. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/united-airlines-plane-tire-blowout-boeing-b2509241.html">United Airlines 777</a> flying from San Francisco to Japan lost a tyre on takeoff, a maintenance issue not related to Boeing. The aircraft landed safely in Los Angeles. </p>
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<p>A <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/03/12/united-airlines-reports-fifth-flight-incident-in-a-week-as-jet-turns-back-due-to-maintenance-issue/">United Airlines flight from Sydney</a> to Los Angeles had to return to Sydney due to a “maintenance issue” after a fluid was seen leaking from the aircraft on departure. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/passenger-video-shows-flames-shoot-united-airlines-engine-midflight-rcna142217">United Airlines 737-900</a> flying from Texas to Florida ended up with some plastic bubble wrap in the engine, causing a suspected <a href="https://skybrary.aero/articles/compressor-stall#:%7E:text=Compressor%20stalls%20cause%20the%20air,dirty%20or%20contaminated%20compressor%20components">compressor stall</a>. This is a disruption of air flow to an operating engine, making it “backfire” and emit flames. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://simpleflying.com/united-boeing-737-max-houston-runway-incident/">United Airlines 737 Max</a> flying from Tennessee to Texas suffered a gear collapse after a normal landing. The pilot continued to the end of the runway before exiting onto a taxiway – possibly at too high a speed – and the aircraft ended up in the grass and the left main landing gear collapsed. </p>
<p>The fifth event occurred on a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/another-boeing-max-mishap-ntsb-probes-stuck-rudder-pedals-united-airli-rcna142286">United Airlines 737-8</a> flight from the Bahamas to New Jersey. The pilots reported that the rudder pedals, which control the left and right movement of the aircraft in flight, were stuck in the neutral position during landing.</p>
<h2>Manufacturing quality concerns</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/alaska-airlines-let-boeing-max-fly-despite-warning-signals">exit door plug failure in January</a> occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight. US regulators are currently investigating Boeing’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/money/24052245/boeing-corporate-culture-737-airplane-safety-door-plug">manufacturing quality assurance</a> as a result. </p>
<p>The door plug was installed by a Boeing subcontractor called Spirit AeroSystem. The door plug bolts were not properly secured and the plug door fell off in flight. The same aircraft had a series of pressurisation alarms on two previous flights, and was scheduled for a maintenance inspection at the completion of the flight. </p>
<p>Spirit got its start after Boeing shut down its own manufacturing operations in Kansas and Oklahoma, and Boeing is now in the process of <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/spirit-aerosystems-boeing.html">buying the company</a> to improve quality oversight. Spirit currently works with Airbus, as well, though that may change.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-did-alaska-airlines-flight-1282-have-a-sealed-off-emergency-exit-in-the-first-place-the-answer-comes-down-to-money-221263">Why did Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have a sealed-off emergency exit in the first place? The answer comes down to money</a>
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<h2>What changed at Boeing</h2>
<p>Critics say the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/12/boeing-whistleblower-death-plane-issues/">culture at Boeing has changed</a> since Airbus became a major competitor in the early 2000s. The company has been accused of shifting its focus to profit at the expense of quality engineering. </p>
<p>Former staff have raised concerns over tight production schedules, which increased the pressure on employees to finish the aircraft. This caused many engineers to question the process, and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fine Boeing for lapses in quality oversight after tools and debris were found on aircraft being inspected. </p>
<p>Several employees have testified before US Congress on the production issues regarding quality control. Based on the congressional findings, the FAA began to inspect Boeing’s processes more closely.</p>
<p>Several Boeing employees noted there was a high staff turnover rate during the COVID pandemic. This is not unique to Boeing, as all manufacturing processes and airline maintenance facilities around the globe were also hit with high turnover. </p>
<p>As a result, there is an acute shortage of qualified maintenance engineers, as well as pilots. These shortages have created several issues with the airline industry successfully returning to the <a href="https://www.aviationbusinessnews.com/mro/critical-shortage-of-engineers-means-looming-crisis-for-aviation-warns-aeroprofessional/">pre-pandemic levels</a> of 2019. Airlines and maintenance training centres around the globe are working hard to train replacements, but this takes time as one cannot become a qualified engineer or airline pilot overnight.</p>
<p>So, is it still safe to fly on Boeing planes? Yes it is. Despite dramatic incidents in the news and social media posts <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveMcNamee3000/status/1767636549288824990">poking fun at the company</a>, air travel is still extremely safe, and that includes Boeing.</p>
<p>We can expect these issues with Boeing planes now will be corrected. The financial impact has been significant – so even a profit-driven company will demand change.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225675/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The American aerospace company Boeing has been synonymous with safe air travel for decades, but recent weeks have seen it plagued by a series of issues.Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255542024-03-12T02:18:16Z2024-03-12T02:18:16ZLATAM flight 800 ‘just dropped’ in mid-flight, injuring dozens. An expert explores what happened, and how to keep yourself safe<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581149/original/file-20240312-18-cpokru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C38%2C4224%2C2776&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/los-angelescalifornia-january-14-2017-latam-558269083">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Monday, LATAM Airlines flight 800 from Sydney to Auckland experienced what officials are describing as a “technical fault” that meant the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/11/australia/new-zealand-latam-airlines-intl-hnk/index.html">Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner</a> “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/24-injured-after-technical-problem-latam-sydney-auckland-flight-nz-herald-2024-03-11/">just dropped</a>” without any warning. </p>
<p>The aircraft pitched downward very quickly, causing some passengers and crew members who were not wearing seatbelts to hit the ceiling, and leaving at least 50 people injured. The flight landed without further incident and the injured passengers and crew were transferred to local hospitals.</p>
<p>So what happened? And should air passengers be concerned?</p>
<p>The short answer is there’s no need to worry – if anything, it seems the plane’s safety systems worked as intended. The real takeaway from the story is you should always wear your seatbelt while seated, just like the cabin crew have been telling you.</p>
<h2>Keep perspective</h2>
<p>When we plan a trip, we usually have adventure or work on our minds as we wing our way to our destination. We think about what types of activities we’ll do, like hiking or water sports, and where we can find great meals. </p>
<p>Most of us never think about what is happening up front in the cockpit as we watch a movie or enjoy the in-flight meal. We generally don’t feel the need to worry about the flights as we feel confident we’ll get to our destination without a problem. Airline incidents are rare when you consider how much travelling is taking place around the globe.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-climate-change-have-played-a-role-in-the-airasia-crash-36002">Could climate change have played a role in the AirAsia crash?</a>
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<p>On peak travel days, there can be more than <a href="https://www.travelweek.ca/news/exactly-many-planes-world-today/">16,000 planes in the air</a> at any time. There are around 4 billion air travel passengers each year, and the number is <a href="https://www.airlineratings.com/news/airline-passengers-tipped-to-double-by-2035/">expected to double by 2035</a> by some estimates.</p>
<p>The vast majority of these flights pass without incident. However, when an emergency does occur it receives a lot of attention – a lot more attention than the far more frequent crashes or other accidents that happen on our roads, for example.</p>
<p>So when you do hear about an incident on a plane, the first thing to do is keep it in perspective.</p>
<h2>What happened on LATAM 800?</h2>
<p>Authorities have not released a lot of detail on the cause of the incident, beyond saying it was a “technical fault”. As LATAM Flight 800 originated in Australia, the transportation investigation teams from Australia, New Zealand, Boeing and LATAM will scrutinise the incident to better understand what happened. </p>
<p>Modern airliners have redundant systems for flight-critical controls. If one fails, it can be transferred to the backup automatically or manually by the flight crew. </p>
<p>One passenger stated that one of the <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/fifty-injured-after-pilot-lost-instrumentation-on-latam-flight-from-sydney-to-auckland/news-story/e713c49fd1332b06950d802d57cecb35">pilots said his instruments went blank</a>, he lost control briefly, and the backup system returned the aircraft back to normal operations. </p>
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<p>If the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of electrical power – from a generator failure, for example – it would cause the autopilot to fail as well. This could have caused the aircraft to abruptly change its flight configuration and descend rapidly. </p>
<p>Whatever happened in this case, it seems the redundant systems on the 787, <a href="https://simpleflying.com/united-787-9-generator-failure/">which includes six backup generators</a>, were able to rapidly return all systems to normal. </p>
<h2>Wear your seatbelt</h2>
<p>LATAM 800 is an example of why we should always wear seatbelts when we are seated on an airplane. While technical faults of this kind are rare, turbulence is a much more common occurrence that can lead to injuries for unsecured passengers.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/05/1161196591/turbulence-airplanes-injuries-death-safety">US Federal Aviation Administration</a> has reported that, in the United States, 30 passengers and 116 crew members were hospitalised due to in-flight injuries caused by turbulence between 2009 and 2021. </p>
<p>Crew members are most susceptible due to the nature of their job. The <a href="https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2014/in-flight-turbulence">Federal Aviation Administration states</a> the annual cost to the global aviation industry due to turbulence injuries is US$100 million.</p>
<h2>Climate change and turbulence</h2>
<p>With climate change heating up our atmosphere every year, we can expect more turbulence. Wind speeds at the altitudes where most aircraft fly are increasing, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2023/11/20/more-clear-air-turbulence-from-climate-change-raises-safety-concerns/?sh=18be6a894b39">causing more turbulence</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-air-turbulence-196872">What is air turbulence?</a>
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<p>This type of turbulence is known as “clear air turbulence” and is difficult to predict or see with current aircraft technologies. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2023/11/20/more-clear-air-turbulence-from-climate-change-raises-safety-concerns/?sh=18be6a894b39">Researchers have</a> found that severe clear air turbulence over the North Atlantic increased by 55% from 1979 to 2020. </p>
<p>For airlines, more turbulence will mean more wear and tear on aircraft. But for travellers, the bottom line is clear: always follow the safety instructions from the cabin crew, and keep your seatbelt fastened at all times when seated.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225554/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s unclear exactly what happened to violently shake up LATAM flight 800, but the moral for passengers is clear: wear your seatbelt.Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170892023-12-27T20:26:40Z2023-12-27T20:26:40Z‘You don’t know why they’re filming or what they’ll do with it’: flight attendants on being unwilling stars of viral videos<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558501/original/file-20231108-25-e7lp2r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C47%2C7951%2C5249&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cabin-crew-air-hostess-working-airplane-2068194518">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As any frequent social media user knows, airline passengers often record and post in-flight incidents – from frightening turbulence to unruly members of the public.</p>
<p>Often, these viral videos feature flight attendants just trying to do their duties, while being filmed without their consent. </p>
<p>These videos usually portray flight attendants either as heroes effortlessly managing difficult passengers or “villains” accused of being rude and unprofessional. Either way, the trend is emerging as an industrial issue, with unions arcing up about it and airlines bringing in new rules aimed at curbing the practice.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/qantas-wont-like-it-but-australian-travellers-could-be-about-to-get-a-better-deal-on-flights-214718">Qantas won't like it, but Australian travellers could be about to get a better deal on flights</a>
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<h2>Unkind comments about appearance and age</h2>
<p>Going to work knowing that at any moment you may become the unwilling star of a viral video can exact a considerable toll on the wellbeing of flight attendants. </p>
<p>I (Liz Simmons) speak daily with flight attendants in Australia and abroad as part of my PhD research. From these discussions, I’ve heard from attendants who worry often about discovering videos of themselves featuring unkind comments about their appearance, age or employer.</p>
<p>One flight attendant, Kate*, described the disconcerting feeling of someone aiming a smartphone camera at her while she was simply trying to do her job, saying:</p>
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<p>You don’t know why they’re filming or what they’ll do with it. </p>
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<p>Marie spoke of being featured in a TikTok video during a safety demonstration, with viewers making fun of her appearance. </p>
<p>Charlotte, after refusing to serve more alcohol to an intoxicated passenger, had a camera thrust in her face, accompanied by threats to her job. </p>
<p>Mark told of how uncomfortable he felt having to ask a passenger to stop taking photos of the crew during service.</p>
<p>These personal accounts illustrate the <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/flight-attendant-reveals-creepy-passenger-behaviour/news-story/3b2b1ad25f758e24ef37b74794684ea6">distress</a> flight attendants can experience when being filmed or photographed without their knowledge.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A flight attendant directs passengers to the nearest available exits." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558502/original/file-20231108-19-x0238w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Imagine going to work knowing that, at any moment, you may become the unwilling star of a viral video.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plane-worker-conduct-safety-instruction-people-1992757586">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A broader industrial issue</h2>
<p>This issue is drawing the attention of policymakers, airlines and the unions that represent flight attendants.</p>
<p>Japan recently introduced <a href="https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/crime-courts/20230408-102309/">laws</a> aimed at curbing sneak photography in a range of settings, which may be used to prevent passengers voyeuristically filming flight attendants. <a href="https://mondortiz.com/japan-flight-attendants-call-for-action-versus-stolen-photo-taking/">Research</a> by Japan’s aviation workers union found that about 70% of the 1,573 flight attendants surveyed believed they’d had their pictures taken surreptitiously while they were working.</p>
<p>Passengers have been arrested in <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-748799">Turkey</a> and <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3554181/IndiGo-passenger-arrested-recording-video-flight-attendants.html">India</a> after unauthorised filming. </p>
<p>And flight attendant unions in <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/03/09/national/crime-legal/flight-attendant-photo/">Japan</a>, <a href="https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/204104/Union-says-flight-attendants-can-ask-passengers-to-delete-photos-and-videos-taken-without-consent">Hong Kong</a> and <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/300750512/why-you-shouldnt-film-your-cabin-crew">Australia</a> have voiced concerns about the issue.</p>
<p>Of course, videos can occasionally play a crucial role in understanding what transpired during an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/passenger-assault-attendant-detained-fbi-american-airlines-mexico-cabo-rcna48884">in-flight incident</a>, and flight attendants themselves can also be found on social media sharing their stories, consenting to the video. But many videos still feature airline staff simply going about their job (while being filmed, without their consent).</p>
<h2>Unclear rules</h2>
<p>News <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/why-you-shouldnt-film-your-cabin-crew-20221122-h2813d.html">reports</a> suggest staff aboard Dutch carrier KLM “now commonly make an announcement during the safety briefing asking passengers not to take photos of any crew members.”</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.klm.com.au/information/legal/conditions-carriage">rules</a> on the KLM website are less clear, saying only that </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Recording videos and/or taking photographs other than personal videos and photographs is prohibited on board the aircraft.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Virgin Australia’s rules state anyone travelling on their planes must</p>
<blockquote>
<p>use cameras or photographic devices (including mobile phones) for personal use only. You must comply with the directions of flight crew when using cameras or photographic devices while on board.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In November 2023, Qantas introduced new <a href="https://www.qantas.com/au/en/book-a-trip/flights/conditions-of-carriage.html#conduct-during-flight">rules</a> requiring passengers to</p>
<blockquote>
<p>seek consent before filming or photographing Qantas Group staff, contractors or other customers. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is a start. For most airlines, however, there is a notable absence of clear guidelines against recording and publishing footage of flight attendants in their workplace. The existing rules are often buried in the fine print of terms and conditions, which few passengers take the time to read. This underscores the necessity for airlines to reconsider how these restrictions are communicated to passengers. </p>
<p>Looking ahead, it may be timely for more airlines to establish clearer rules on filming cabin crew while they work. There should be an acknowledgement that unsolicited filming is frequently unfair, invasive and distressing. Developing a framework to enforce these provisions and enhancing communication about these rules would help inform passengers about how to respect the privacy and comfort of flight attendants in their workplace. </p>
<p><em>* All names have been changed to protect identities.</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-air-turbulence-196872">What is air turbulence?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217089/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liz Simmons is a member of the Griffith Institute For Tourism (GIFT), and a member of the Australian Aviation Psychology Association (AAvPA). She was an Australian-based cabin crew from 2004-2021, and during that time was a financial member of the Flight Attendant's Association of Australia (FAAA).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rawan Nimri is a current member of the Griffith Institute For Tourism (GIFT).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gui Lohmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Unions are arcing up about cabin crew being filmed without consent during flights. Some airlines have brought in new rules aimed at curbing the practice.Liz Simmons, PhD Candidate, Griffith UniversityGui Lohmann, Professor in Air Transport and Tourism Management, Griffith UniversityRawan Nimri, Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180372023-11-28T03:49:33Z2023-11-28T03:49:33ZAlmost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane. Experts disagree<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561998/original/file-20231127-29-h9xkjy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=69%2C0%2C5754%2C3877&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Picture this: you’re nestled comfortably in your seat cruising towards your holiday destination when a flight attendant’s voice breaks through the silence: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, both pilots are incapacitated. Are there any passengers who could land this plane with assistance from air traffic control?</p>
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<p>If you think you could manage it, you’re not alone. <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/01/02/fd798/3">Survey results</a> published in January indicate about one-third of adult Americans think they could safely land a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s guidance. Among male respondents, the confidence level rose to nearly 50%.</p>
<p>Can a person with no prior training simply guide everyone to a smooth touchdown?</p>
<p>We’ve all heard stories of passengers who saved the day when the pilot became unresponsive. For instance, last year <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMoyWukjbs">Darren Harrison</a> managed to land a twin-engine aircraft in Florida – after the pilot passed out – with the guidance of an air traffic controller who also happened to be a flight instructor. </p>
<p>However, such incidents tend to take place in small, simple aircraft. Flying a much bigger and heavier commercial jet is a completely different game. </p>
<h2>You can’t always rely on autopilot</h2>
<p>A pilot spends about 90% of their time monitoring autopilot systems and making sure everything is working as intended. The other 10% is spent managing problems, taxiing, taking off and landing. </p>
<p>Takeoffs and landings are arguably the most difficult tasks pilots perform, and are always performed manually. Only on very few occasions, and in a handful of aircraft models, can a pilot use autopilot to land the aircraft for them. This is the exception, and not the rule.</p>
<p>For takeoff, the aircraft must build up speed until the wings can generate enough lift to pull it into the air. The pilot must <a href="https://youtu.be/16XTAK-4Xbk?si=66yDo5g5I086Q2y2&t=65">pay close attention</a> to multiple instruments and external cues, while keeping the aircraft centred on the runway until it reaches lift-off speed. </p>
<p>Once airborne, they must coordinate with air traffic control, follow a particular path, retract the landing gear and maintain a precise speed and direction while trying to climb. </p>
<p>Landing is even more complicated, and requires having precise control of the aircraft’s direction and descent rate.</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/u_it9OiTnSM?si=xNZrLB9ZH870LEa3&t=360">To land successfully</a>, a pilot must keep an appropriate speed while simultaneously managing gear and flap configuration, adhering to air traffic regulations, communicating with air traffic control and completing a number of paper and digital checklists.</p>
<p>Once the aircraft comes close to the runway, they must accurately judge its height, reduce power and adjust the rate of descent – ensuring they land on the correct area of the runway.</p>
<p>On the ground, they will use the brakes and reverse thrust to bring the aircraft to a complete stop before the runway ends. This all happens within just a few minutes. </p>
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<p>Both takeoff and landing are far too quick, technical and concentration-intensive for an untrained person to pull off. They also require a range of skills that are only gained through extensive training, such as understanding the information presented on different gauges, and being able to coordinate one’s hands and feet in a certain way.</p>
<h2>Training a pilot</h2>
<p>The journey from student to commercial pilot is a long one. It normally starts with a recreational licence, followed by a private licence, and then a commercial licence (which allows them to fly professionally). </p>
<p>Even before stepping into a cockpit, the student must study aerodynamics, air law and flight rules, meteorology, human factors, navigation, aircraft systems, and performance and flight planning. They also need to spend time learning about the specific aircraft they will be flying. </p>
<p>Once the fundamentals are grasped, an instructor takes them for training. Most of this training is conducted in small, lightweight aircraft – with a simulator introduced briefly towards the end.</p>
<p>During a lesson, each manoeuvre or action is demonstrated by the instructor before the student attempts it. Their attempt may be adjusted, corrected or even terminated early in critical situations.</p>
<p>The first ten to fifteen lessons focus on takeoff, landing, basic in-flight control and emergency management. When the students are ready, they’re allowed to “go solo” – wherein they conduct a complete flight on their own. This is a great milestone.</p>
<p>After years of experience, they are ready to transition to a commercial aircraft. At this point they might be able to take off and land reasonably well, but they will still undergo extensive training specific to the aircraft they are flying, including hours of advanced theory, dozens of simulator sessions and hundreds of hours of real aircraft training (most of which is done with passengers onboard).</p>
<p>So, if you’ve never even learned the basics of flying, your chances of successfully landing a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s help are close to zero.</p>
<h2>Yet, flying is a skill like any other</h2>
<p>Aviation training has been democratised by the advent of high-end computers, virtual reality and flight simulation games such as Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.flightsimulator.com/">Flight Simulator</a> and <a href="https://www.x-plane.com/">X-Plane</a>.</p>
<p>Anyone can now rig up a desktop flight simulator for a few thousand dollars. Ideally, such a setup should also include the basic physical controls found in a cockpit, such as a control yoke, throttle quadrant and pedals. </p>
<p>Flight simulators provide an immersive environment in which professional pilots, students and aviation enthusiasts can develop their skills. So if you really think you could match-up against a professional, consider trying your hand at one. </p>
<p>You almost certainly won’t be able to land an actual passenger plane by the end of it – but at least you’ll gain an appreciation for the immense skill pilots possess.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218037/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>We conducted a research project with funds provided by Boeing Research & Technology Australia.</span></em></p>Takeoff and landing are among the most difficult tasks commercial pilots perform.Guido Carim Junior, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, Griffith UniversityChris Campbell, Adjunct Associate Professor, Griffith UniversityElvira Marques, Aviation PhD candidate, Griffith UniversityNnenna Ike, Research Assistant, Griffith Aviation, Griffith UniversityTim Ryley, Professor and Head of Griffith Aviation, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169832023-11-03T03:37:28Z2023-11-03T03:37:28ZThe fury on show at the Qantas AGM couldn’t have come at a worse time for the airline<p>Fielding tough questions from a furious audience is no one’s idea of fun. But as Richard Goyder and Vanessa Hudson – Qantas chairman and chief executive, respectively – dealt with angry question after angry question at the airline’s annual general meeting today, the pair knew their main audience was not those in the room. It was, in fact, the decision-makers in Canberra. </p>
<p>The AGM comes at a critical time for the national carrier. The federal government is considering a suite of aviation policy reforms, many of which Qantas would rather stay unreformed.</p>
<p>Qantas can ill afford further damage to its public image now.</p>
<hr>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/even-if-qantas-is-fined-hundreds-of-millions-it-is-likely-to-continue-to-take-us-for-granted-213754">Even if Qantas is fined hundreds of millions it is likely to continue to take us for granted</a>
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<h2>Shareholder and community anger</h2>
<p>Qantas had a good year financially, as demonstrated by its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/24/qantas-delivers-record-247bn-profit">A$2.47 billion</a> full-year profits. But consumers are less happy.</p>
<p>These profits have been delivered in part by <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-passengers-to-pay-more-for-flights-as-fuel-costs-bite-20231020-p5edvo.html">rapidly rising air fares</a>.</p>
<p>The Qantas board has also had to deal with anger on executive remuneration, especially around former chief executive Alan Joyce’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-20/qantas-alan-joyce-21-4-million-final-payout/102880572">multimillion-dollar payout</a>. </p>
<p>This rage over executive pay was on full display at today’s AGM, when <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-agm-2023-live-updates-20231102-p5eh5z.html">83%</a> of shareholders voted against Qantas’ remuneration report for the 2023 financial year. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-agm-2023-live-updates-20231102-p5eh5z.html">Reported</a> as “one of the biggest strikes ever recorded in corporate history”, it is a clear rejection Joyce’s payout.</p>
<p>Qantas has also had to manage allegations it <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/qantas-apologizes-over-tickets-phantom-075506638.html#:%7E:text=STORY%3A%20Qantas%20issued%20an%20apology,a%20hit%20over%20recent%20times.">sold tickets for flights it knew had been cancelled</a>, on top of a suite of PR disasters around <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Faviation%2Fqantas-reveals-plan-to-tackle-flight-delays-and-lost-bags%2Fnews-story%2Fbd03a7806ef237daa78b541708b92349&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=HIGH-Segment-1-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=append">flight delays and lost luggage issues</a>. </p>
<h2>The aviation white paper and Qantas’s optics problem</h2>
<p>The federal government released a new green paper on aviation policy in September and is consulting stakeholders, ahead of publishing a <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-white-paper">new white paper</a> on aviation policy next year.</p>
<p>There are several contentious areas of policy Qantas would prefer to remain unchanged. </p>
<p>The white paper panel will no doubt also take into account public sentiment. Optics matter in politics, and so Federal Transport Minister Catherine King and her department would have been taking the pulse of today’s AGM. </p>
<p>The anger on show from shareholders – with Goyder facing jeers, boos and cries of “<a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/qantas-annual-general-meeting-shareholders-chairman-richard-goyder/945180fd-8ac8-4a4f-982f-edd01b841fcd">shame on you!</a>” – can’t have helped Qantas’s optics.</p>
<p>Any political advisor watching would likely caution the government that now is not a good time to be seen cosying up to the airline.</p>
<p>The 2024 aviation white paper (itself a sequel to Anthony Albanese’s <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2009/12/albanese-releases-aviation-white-paper/">2009 aviation white paper</a> while he was transport minister) aims to set a new aviation policy framework out to 2050. </p>
<p>Unlike its predecessor, it will take into account consumer and worker rights – so the angry scenes at today’s meeting will not help Qantas in its efforts to stave off the kind of regulation being discussed in the aviation white paper. </p>
<h2>Mandatory compensation</h2>
<p>One policy under consideration is the idea of mandatory compensation for flight cancellations and delays. </p>
<p>For almost 20 years, air travellers flying from European Union airports have been able to access a guaranteed compensation scheme that is tiered according to length of delay and inconvenience.</p>
<p>Airlines in Europe fought the introduction of the mechanism in 2004. It’s unlikely Qantas would welcome such policies in Australia either.</p>
<h2>Bilateral air service agreements</h2>
<p>Another issue on the table is the negotiation of bilateral air service agreements. These agreements between nation states govern the number of flights between countries, but are seen as archaic in many other OECD countries.</p>
<p>In their place, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/under-open-skies-the-market-not-the-minister-would-decide-how-often-airlines-could-fly-into-australia-213214">open skies</a>” agreements allow unfettered access to foreign carriers and often deliver lower fares to consumers.</p>
<p>Qantas and Virgin Australia both rely on a bilateral air service agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the bulk of their international connections. This agreement still has ample expansion room, but the agreement with neighbouring Qatar is already at capacity. </p>
<p>The seemingly opaque way in which the application by Qatar to enlarge this quota was denied by the federal government angered many in the industry. It led to a senate committee inquiry.</p>
<p>Indeed, a freedom-of-information request was required to discover the decision was, in part, linked to the treatment of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/australia-says-qatar-strip-searches-women-2020-factor-blocking-extra-flights-2023-09-07/#:%7E:text=SYDNEY%2C%20Sept%207%20(Reuters),pressure%20from%20rival%20Qantas%20Airways.">women strip-searched at Doha airport in 2020</a>. </p>
<p>It’s likely the government will reform the way these bilateral service agreements are negotiated (at least to add greater transparency). </p>
<p>Goyder and Hudson wanted the focus at today’s AGM to be partly on their plan to boost non-stop international flights, all of which hinge on bilateral service agreements with European countries. So Qantas may be nervous about any proposed changes to the negotiation process that make it easier for their would-be rivals to also expand services. </p>
<h2>Greater competition monitoring</h2>
<p>The white paper panel is also considering greater monitoring of competition in air transport. </p>
<p>Airports operate as monopolies in their cities and are regulated as such. Airlines, on the other hand, operate in a competitive landscape. </p>
<p>But the playing field is not level for all airlines and potential entrants, not least because capacity restraints such as takeoff and landing slots can be engineered to favour incumbents. As such, Qantas would no doubt prefer no reform in these areas. </p>
<p>So the terrible optics of today’s Qantas AGM come at a moment when it is very keen to mould the legislative landscape of aviation in its favour. In other words, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.</p>
<p>As Goyder and Hudson fronted shareholders today, their promise to work harder to address customer concerns was aimed as much at Canberra as it was to the Melbourne audience. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/qantas-wont-like-it-but-australian-travellers-could-be-about-to-get-a-better-deal-on-flights-214718">Qantas won't like it, but Australian travellers could be about to get a better deal on flights</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216983/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin Wastnage was previously director of two industry groups, Aviation/Aerospace Australia and the Tourism & Transport Forum, which are both funded in part by Australian and international airlines and airports.</span></em></p>The terrible optics of today’s Qantas AGM come at a moment when it is very keen to mould the legislative landscape of aviation in its favour.Justin Wastnage, Adjunct Industry Fellow, Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2147182023-10-11T19:06:48Z2023-10-11T19:06:48ZQantas won’t like it, but Australian travellers could be about to get a better deal on flights<p>Weeks after Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce brought forward his resignation to help Qantas “accelerate its renewal”, the company’s chairman Richard Goyder today announced he too is retiring early, to “<a href="https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02723591-2A1480044?access_token=83ff96335c2d45a094df02a206a39ff4">support restoration of trust</a>”.</p>
<p>But the early retirement will take place “prior to the company’s annual general meeting in late 2024” – meaning Goyder will be in the chair for a while yet. </p>
<p>This will give him time to (among other things) help Qantas respond to the Senate inquiry into air services, which <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Commonwealth_Bilateral_Air_Service_Agreements/cbasa/Report">reported on Monday</a>.</p>
<p>If acted on, some of the report’s recommendations would shift power away from Qantas – such as by giving travellers automatic cash compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. </p>
<p>But the inquiry arguably still didn’t go far enough, shying away from bolder action already taken in Europe.</p>
<h2>What did the Senate inquiry recommend?</h2>
<p>The Senate inquiry was set up to investigate the Albanese government’s refusal to approve <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-will-putting-the-interests-of-qantas-ahead-of-qatar-airways-cost-1-billion-per-year-and-a-new-wave-of-protectionism-of-legacy-carriers-212495">extra flights into Australia sought by Qatar Airways</a>, but broadened its scope to examine the way Qantas has been <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Commonwealth_Bilateral_Air_Service_Agreements/cbasa/Report/Recommendations">treating its customers</a>.</p>
<p>Among its recommendations are that: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>the government immediately review its decision not to increase capacity under Australia’s bilateral air services agreement with Qatar</p></li>
<li><p>when making decisions relating to bilateral air service agreements, the government have regard to cost benefit analysis, consult widely with key stakeholders, and publish a statement of reasons for decisions taken</p></li>
<li><p>the government review reform options to strengthen competition in the domestic aviation industry, including potential divestiture powers</p></li>
<li><p>the government direct the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to conduct an inquiry into potential anti-competitive behaviour in the domestic aviation market</p></li>
<li><p>the government develop and implement consumer protection reforms as soon as reasonably practicable to address significant delays, cancellations, lost baggage and devaluation of loyalty programs.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The committee also wanted to be reappointed so it would be able to reexamine witnesses who were unable to appear, including Alan Joyce and Transport Minister Catherine King.</p>
<h2>Consumer cashback and action on Sydney Airport</h2>
<p>Specific suggestions in the report would shift power away from Qantas.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549500/original/file-20230921-19-v6cu46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Automatic cash refunds are on the agenda.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>One is automatic cash compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, of the kind Europeans have enjoyed for <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52016XC0615%2801%29">almost 20 years</a>. </p>
<p>Another is for the government to respond to an independent review’s recommendations on improving Sydney Airport’s “slot management system” (how air traffic is managed), which <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/airports/review-sydney-airport-demand-management-scheme">reported back almost three years ago</a>.</p>
<p>Yet another concerned “<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-cabotage-and-why-foreign-airlines-dont-fly-domestic-42350">cabotage</a>”: the ability for foreign airlines to pick up domestic passengers on a domestic leg of an international flight. The committee recommended the government consider limited cabotage.</p>
<p>The government hasn’t yet indicated which of the recommendations it plans to act on.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/booking-customers-on-cancelled-flights-how-could-qantas-do-that-212793">Booking customers on cancelled flights – how could Qantas do that?</a>
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<h2>Open skies, or tightly-controlled skies?</h2>
<p>The committee could have, and perhaps should have, put forward bolder recommendations.</p>
<p>One would have been unrestricted <a href="https://theconversation.com/under-open-skies-the-market-not-the-minister-would-decide-how-often-airlines-could-fly-into-australia-213214">open skies</a> agreements, of the kind Australia already has with China, India, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. This would see the government remove itself from decisions about landing slots and leave that to the airports.</p>
<p>An alternative approach – almost the opposite – would be retaining the power to decide who lands, but using it to achieve outcomes the government wants, such as commitments from countries including Qatar on things such as workers’ rights. </p>
<p>The European Union has shown what could be done. It extracted key <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_5344">concessions</a> from Qatar over workers’ rights and environmental protection before signing off on an Open Skies agreement in 2021. </p>
<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a former transport minister who understands the detail of aviation policy, might be particularly keen on this idea, given Labor’s commitment to workers’ rights. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/under-open-skies-the-market-not-the-minister-would-decide-how-often-airlines-could-fly-into-australia-213214">Under 'open skies', the market, not the minister, would decide how often airlines could fly into Australia</a>
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<h2>Sweeping changes ahead</h2>
<p>Next year, the government will release a white paper on aviation policy through to 2050, after obtaining <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/aviation-green-paper-open-feedback">feedback</a> on a green paper it released last month.</p>
<p>Those next 30 years will be far from business-as-usual for airlines and airports, whatever decisions the government takes now, and however Qantas responds.</p>
<p>Ultra-long-haul aircraft are likely to link Paris with Perth, and even London with Sydney within a decade. They are likely to force new alliances between airlines that today seem unlikely bedfellows. </p>
<p>And the chorus against the excesses of long-haul travel is likely to become louder. </p>
<p>Prince William’s <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023/132776452/large-carbon-footprint-behind-prince-william-not-attending-world-cup-final">refusal to travel to Sydney</a> for the Women’s World Cup Final because of the size of the carbon footprint might be a sign of things to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214718/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin Wastnage was previously director of aviation policy at Tourism & Transport Forum, that was funded by both Australian and international airlines and airports.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gui Lohmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Qantas faces being forced to offer automatic cash compensation to travellers, being broken up if it operates uncompetitively, and unlimited competition under “open skies”.Gui Lohmann, Professor in Air Transport and Tourism Management, Griffith UniversityJustin Wastnage, Adjunct Industry Fellow, Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2132142023-09-11T20:08:40Z2023-09-11T20:08:40ZUnder ‘open skies’, the market, not the minister, would decide how often airlines could fly into Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547431/original/file-20230911-27-vlazi6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=68%2C68%2C1845%2C862&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Federal Transport Minister Catherine King has offered <a href="https://www.afr.com/rear-window/six-ways-catherine-king-has-tried-to-justify-her-qatar-decision-20230907-p5e2qt">several explanations</a> for the decision to deny the Qatari government’s request to fly extra flights into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.</p>
<p>None of them amounts to a clear rationale for the decision, which has been criticised by <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/qantas-virgin-aviation-travel-qatar/102787988">airlines</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/sydney-airport-boss-calls-out-lack-of-international-flights-20230818-p5dxnq.html">airports</a>, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/tourism-industry-bewildered-over-qatar-airways-flight-ban/video/5ef4d725beab6f9ac2410ade6f85c200">tourism bodies</a> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-30/qantas-qatar-airways-blocked-federal-government-accc/102792444">consumer advocates</a> and <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2023/09/labor-state-government-criticises-qatar-decision/">state governments</a>. </p>
<p>The big question is why such decisions are even up to the minister, rather than being left to the market.</p>
<p>It stems from an outdated international treaty on commercial aviation, from a time when national security was the prime concern. There is, however, a workaround, which other nations have been using, known as open-skies agreements.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-transport-minister-catherine-king-struggles-to-find-a-landing-strip-amid-qatar-turbulence-213076">Grattan on Friday: Transport Minister Catherine King struggles to find a landing strip amid Qatar turbulence</a>
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<h2>An outdated convention</h2>
<p>King’s right to rule on international flights is based on the
<a href="https://www.icao.int/about-icao/history/pages/default.aspx">Convention on International Civil Aviation</a>, signed in December 1944 in Chicago – and hence known as the Chicago Convention. </p>
<p>Representatives from 54 nations attended the convention. All agreed they should have sovereignty over the airspace above their territory. The resulting framework prohibited international commercial flights unless expressly permitted. Thus, for an airline to fly internationally there must first be a government-level agreement to permit it. </p>
<p>For example, no Australian airline can operate scheduled commercial services or even sell codeshare flights to the Maldives, because Australia has no air service agreement with the South Asian archipelago.</p>
<p>While the level of demand today may not justify direct services, the framework effectively ensures there never will be that demand.</p>
<h2>Turning to open-skies deals</h2>
<p>Changing this bilateral-treaty system has proven difficult. Many countries have, since the 1990s, taken the next best approach: open-skies agreements. </p>
<p>An open-skies agreement is a deal between two or more nations that allows for unlimited commercial services without the need for explicit ministerial approval.</p>
<p>Nations can still intervene, so sovereignty is preserved, and intervention is typically limited to safety and security grounds.</p>
<p>The United States has open-skies agreements with more than 100 nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Singapore has open-skies agreements with more than 60 nations. Canada has open-skies agreements with 23 nations. </p>
<p>The US, Singapore and New Zealand are parties to an eight-nation multilateral open-skies agreement (the <a href="https://www.maliat.govt.nz/">Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalization of International Air Transportation</a>), which does not include Australia. </p>
<p>Australia has open-skies agreements with just seven nations: China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore (which is why Singapore Airlines is <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2023/08/singapore-airlines-to-ramp-up-australian-flights-from-march-2024/">expanding services to Australia</a> without controversy), the US and the United Kingdom. This makes Australia a relative outlier among developed nations.</p>
<p>The federal government’s <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-green-paper">Aviation Green Paper 2023</a> spends only 2 of 224 pages discussing international aviation competition. It proposes no change in approach. </p>
<h2>Redundant rationale</h2>
<p>Because Australia is separated by great distances from major population centres, governments historically wanted to ensure Australia had air services that were secure, reliable and economically viable. </p>
<p>However, aviation has moved on. The emergence of major hubs, first in South-East Asia, then in the Middle East, altered the structure of international aviation. </p>
<p>Treaties that Australia negotiated long ago have become redundant. Direct flights by Australian or European airlines are largely uncompetitive against midpoint hubs, where the carriers connect more than 50 cities in Europe to Australian gateways.</p>
<p>Non-stop flights to other regions are now widely available, and are offered by an increasing number of airlines from various countries. There is enough redundancy in the system that if one or more airlines stopped serving Australia, the security and reliability of air services would still be maintained.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-will-putting-the-interests-of-qantas-ahead-of-qatar-airways-cost-1-billion-per-year-and-a-new-wave-of-protectionism-of-legacy-carriers-212495">What will putting the interests of Qantas ahead of Qatar Airways cost? $1 billion per year and a new wave of protectionism of legacy carriers</a>
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<h2>Open skies in Australia’s national interest</h2>
<p>Australia would experience a net benefit from more international flights. As an island nation, aviation is essential for two of our largest export industries: education and tourism. The persistence of demand for air travel despite record high fares illustrates this. </p>
<p>Australian carriers have not flagged meaningful international service expansion beyond pre-COVID levels. Indeed, they have consistently neglected to use existing traffic rights to major markets such as Malaysia. The introduction of low-cost services, such as 67 weekly flights by the Air Asia group, from such markets has demonstrated that new air services stimulate new demand and do not necessarily harm incumbent operators <a href="https://simpleflying.com/airasia-xpanding-china-australia/">AirAsia Xpanding Services To China And Australia</a>. </p>
<p>Protecting a stagnant Australian-based international operation is unnecessary and even harmful to the broader economy. </p>
<p>It’s also in Australia’s national interest to ensure adherence to international obligations and adoption of values that Australia promotes. As a nation that has long espoused liberal economic values, it’s in Australia’s interest to commit to healthy competition in the aviation industry and reduce arbitrary decision-making. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-albaneses-government-has-questions-to-answer-on-competition-212192">Grattan: Albanese's government has questions to answer on competition</a>
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<p>A key obligation of signatories to the Chicago Convention is to ensure civil aviation is used for purposes consistent with the convention’s aims. One aim is that “international air transport services may be established on the basis of equality of opportunity”.</p>
<p>Protecting the profit of Australian airlines, when no such reason has been cited in other similar cases, risks breaching this obligation. The inability of Australia’s transport minister to provide a clear rationale for the decision is precisely why the decision is best left to the market.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213214/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Douglas is affiliated with the Air Transport Research Society and the German Aviation Research Society. He holds an honorary Fellow appointment at the University of Wollongong and an honorary Senior Lecturer appointment at UNSW. He lectures from time to time as an external contributor to the Civil Aviation Management Program at the Singapore Aviation Academy..
Ian Douglas is a former Chair of the Australian International Air Services Commission</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Seena Sarram is affiliated with UNSW's School of Aviation as a casual academic. He previously worked for Qantas from 2018 to 2021 and Qatar Airways from 2013 to 2018.</span></em></p>The US has open-skies agreements with more than 100 nations, Singapore has more than 60 nations. Australia has just seven.Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation and Fellow of the University of Wollongong, UNSW SydneySeena Sarram, Lawyer and Casual Academic, UNSW School of Aviation, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2124952023-08-31T20:00:46Z2023-08-31T20:00:46ZWhat will putting the interests of Qantas ahead of Qatar Airways cost? $1 billion per year and a new wave of protectionism of legacy carriers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545659/original/file-20230830-27-t7v95b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=508%2C420%2C2715%2C1404&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The government’s decision to deny Qatar Airways the right to fly an extra 21 flights per week into Australia’s three biggest cities might just be returning Australia to the old days where we protected Australia’s national carrier at the expense of Australians.</p>
<p>For more than 15 years I’ve had the privilege to research and teach airline strategy in the context of global aviation bilateral air service agreements. </p>
<p>These agreements are essentially trade deals between the 193 governments that are signatories to the <a href="https://www.icao.int/publications/Pages/doc7300.aspx">1944 Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation</a>.</p>
<p>The agreements allow designated airlines in the two signatory countries to operate air services connecting them in accordance with the reciprocity principle used in trade agreements, which is broadly: “I’ll let you in if you let me in”.</p>
<p>Australia has traditionally tried to deregulate international aviation, to make air travel easier for both Australians and visitors. </p>
<p>But in July, in an <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release?page=2">initially announced</a> decision, Transport Minister Catherine King <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/minister-blocks-bid-to-bring-down-airfares-boost-tourism-20230717-p5down">rejected</a> an application for Qatar to double its flights into Australia by providing what amounted to an extra flight a day into Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. </p>
<p>After being asked about the decision, the minister provided four different justifications, one of which was the “<a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/interview/transcript-press-conference-cairns">national interest</a>”. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-albaneses-government-has-questions-to-answer-on-competition-212192">Grattan: Albanese's government has questions to answer on competition</a>
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<p>Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones this week expanded on this reasoning, saying he didn’t want to drive ticket prices down to the point at which it was “<a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/record-qantas-profit-good-news-in-the-national-interest-labor-20230828-p5dzx5">unsustainable to run an airline</a>” and that having Qantas occasionally make a profit was “actually a good news story”.</p>
<p>On its face, this suggests the government is making decisions about landing rights in order to protect the profits of Qantas – a private company it hasn’t owned since 1995. This would be a seismic shift in Australia’s international aviation policy.</p>
<p>A case could be made that this is in breach of the Chicago convention. Regardless, it is damaging to Australia’s international reputation and Australia’s economy.</p>
<h2>$1 billion per year in economic damage</h2>
<p>By my conservative estimate, the decision will cost Australia’s economy about $1 billion per year in lost income from tourism, VRF (visiting friends and relatives), and business travel and freight.</p>
<p>My calculations suggest capacity on the Kangaroo Route between Australia and Europe is only back to 70% of where it was before COVID, allowing current operators such as the Emirates-Qantas alliance to charge much more than they could before the pandemic. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545688/original/file-20230831-17-i0f3pt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Turkish Airlines is also finding it hard to get approval from Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Qantas announced last week it would <a href="https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-adds-more-than-250000-international-seats-as-aircraft-return/">add 250,000 seats</a> to its international network, but not a single one was on flights to Europe.</p>
<p>The extra Qatar Airways flights would have also gone on to New Zealand, adding further capacity to that route and cutting prices for flights across the Tasman.</p>
<p>And it’s not only Qatar Airways. Turkish Airlines, through the Turkish government, has asked for permission to increase of the frequency of its Australian flights from four to 14 a week, providing daily services to Melbourne and Sydney.</p>
<p>Turkey <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/turkish-airlines-grounded-before-launch-as-minister-delays-air-rights-20230723-p5dqjd">hasn’t yet</a> received an answer.</p>
<h2>Extra costs in reputational damage</h2>
<p>The message Australia is sending is a dangerous one.</p>
<p>When COVID hit in 2020 and airlines including Qantas grounded their fleets, Qatar Airways temporarily became Australia’s “<a href="https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-australia-repatriation-airline/">de facto international airline</a>”, getting Australians home who might otherwise have been stranded. During the pandemic, some Qatar flights arrived in Australia with just 20 seats filled.</p>
<p>Qatar might have expected Australians to remember this and keep flying with them, and it has applied for enough flights to allow it to happen.</p>
<p>By denying Qatar this opportunity (and denying many Australians the opportunity to travel to Europe via Doha), Australia has shown it is prepared to be ungracious, and made it easier for other countries to treat it in the same fashion.</p>
<p>Australia’s number two domestic airline Virgin Australia, is planning a share market <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/virgin-s-ipo-planning-well-advanced-bain-extracts-730m-20230510-p5d79q">float</a>. By appearing to signal it is prepared to go out on a limb to support Qantas against competitors, Australia has perhaps unintentionally sent a powerful message to potential investors – that Virgin’s opponent gets protection it does not.</p>
<h2>The weak case for offering Qantas protection</h2>
<p>There <em>might</em> be a case for offering Qantas protection if it was at risk of needing a taxpayer-funded bailout to stay afloat. But Qantas has returned to profit – a record <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-reveals-record-2-5-billion-profit-20230823-p5dywc.html">A$2.5 billion</a> profit in the year to June, after doubling its revenue.</p>
<p>There might also be a case (and King has made this case) that Qantas needs to be protected because it has just purchased new, quieter “<a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/interview/transcript-4ca-am-cairns">better for the environment</a>” planes on which it will need to see a return and will need to spend a further <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/life-after-joyce-what-challenges-await-qantas-come-november-20230503-p5d58m.html">A$12 billion</a> to <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/why-qantas-chief-alan-joyce-isnt-prioritising-qantas-ageing-fleet/news-story/95b608782757b70b94463b3336ddea6c">A$20 billion</a> on fleet renewal to reach its net-zero target.</p>
<p>But for years (<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-reveals-record-2-5-billion-profit-20230823-p5dywc.html">including after last week’s profit announcement</a>) Qantas has been returning capital to its shareholders by share buy-backs instead of using it to buy planes. It thinks it can <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/qantas-walks-a-delicate-line-between-returns-and-paying-for-new-planes-20230531-p5dcp1">do both</a>, and perhaps it is making so much profit that it can, but if it can’t do both, it can ease off on returning capital to shareholders.</p>
<p>Another argument (<a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/blocking-flights-could-cost-500m-but-minister-saves-jobs-20230809-p5dv65">also put by King</a>) is that supporting Qantas will support “long-term, well-paid, secure jobs by Australians in the aviation sector.”</p>
<p>But much of Qantas’s international skilled work is already done offshore including on its premier QF1 flight to London which is maintained by crews from the United Kingdom. </p>
<h2>Is there something we don’t know about?</h2>
<p>Unless there is some sort of hidden rationale, the decision to deny Qatar Airways extra flights seems inexplicable; and given Australia’s history, unAustralian. </p>
<p>It is important to recognise that these are trade agreements of considerable magnitude and that decisions taken by Australia invite retaliation.</p>
<p>As I keep telling my students, these seemingly-boring bilateral air service agreements can have big consequences if mishandled. </p>
<p>Years of worth of research and international best practice indicate that an open approach to air rights delivers the best economic outcomes, especially for the country doing the opening.</p>
<p>More trade results in a more prosperous Australia which is good for Australian travellers, Australian businesses, and ultimately Australian airlines, too.</p>
<p>Australia used to tell the rest of the world that trade was good. It would need to have a very good reason for behaving differently when it came to air travel.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212495/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rico Merkert receives funding from the ARC and various industry partners. He loves to work with and for airlines, including Qantas and Virgin Australia.</span></em></p>On its face, the decision to deny Qatar 21 flights into Australia suggests Australia is making decisions about international rights in order to protect the profit of an airline it hasn’t owned since 1995.Rico Merkert, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2123582023-08-28T06:04:16Z2023-08-28T06:04:16Z‘Every flight is a learning event’: why the V-22 Osprey aircraft won’t be grounded despite dozens of crashes and 54 fatalities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544976/original/file-20230828-20049-yzlt1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C53%2C3712%2C2287&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/us-air-force-bell-boeing-v22-2293652609">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the weekend a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-27/nt-us-marines-killed-plane-crash-melville-island-tiwi-osprey/102781722">V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed</a> on Melville Island north of Darwin. Of the 23 US Marine Corps personnel onboard, three died, five were taken to Darwin hospital in a serious condition, and some others had more minor injuries. </p>
<p>The craft was part of the <a href="https://www.marforpac.marines.mil/MRFDarwin/Category/10812/">Marine Rotational Force - Darwin</a>, a unit of up to 2,500 US marines that has been based in the Northern Territory from April to October each year since 2012. This is the most serious accident in that 11-year period.</p>
<p>The Osprey is a relatively new type of aircraft, with a patchy track record for safety. But the advantages it offers for the military – and perhaps for civilians – mean we will only be seeing more of it in the future.</p>
<h2>What is the V-22 Osprey?</h2>
<p>The Osprey has long been controversial, initially for its high cost and long development time, and in recent years <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/v-22-osprey-crash-history/">for safety concerns</a>. </p>
<p>These issues reflect the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vzqhddVG7o">revolutionary design</a> of the craft: it is a kind of plane–helicopter hybrid called a tiltrotor, which means the wing tilts upward for takeoff and landing and back down again for level flight. If this sounds complex, it is.</p>
<p>The Osprey is at the <a href="https://www.boeing.com/defense/v-22-osprey/">leading edge</a> of aviation technology, with nothing else in operational service like it. The aircraft was built to replace helicopters and is used by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and the <a href="https://news.usni.org/2020/07/14/japan-self-defense-force-accepts-delivery-of-first-v-22-osprey">Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sand coloured tarmac and a white plane with two rotors on top seen from the side" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544980/original/file-20230828-17-dk08cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A US Marines V-22 Osprey at the Naval Air Station Miramar, California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/miramar-california-usa-oct-15-2006-365983805">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why is the Osprey so useful?</h2>
<p>The Marine Corps is by far the largest user, being attracted to the aircraft’s much longer range, much higher speed and good carrying capacity compared to conventional helicopters. </p>
<p>The Marine Corps is famous for landing soldiers across beaches during combat but in the modern era this is difficult. Potential adversaries now have excellent beach defences, and bringing ships close enough to shore to land soldiers via traditional naval landing craft or conventional helicopters is becoming unrealistic. </p>
<p>The Osprey solves this by allowing amphibious ships to remain hundreds of kilometres at sea and launch assaults onto the beach “from over the horizon”. A landing can now surprise an enemy, while the Osprey’s range allows many more possible landing sites to be accessed.</p>
<p>The Marines first brought the Osprey into service in 2007, and it has been central to the adoption of <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47614">a whole new way of war</a>. They have dispensed with heavy mechanised forces like tanks in favour of rapid manoeuvres, light vehicles, long-range missile technology and island hopping. </p>
<p>This approach of so-called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) is the <a href="https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Maneuverist-19.pdf">Marine Corps answer</a> to China’s growing assertiveness in East Asia and to keeping the Corps relevant in the modern era. The Marines in Darwin now <a href="https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/3162643/mrf-d-22-tests-eabo-concepts-on-south-pacific-island/">practise EABO</a>.</p>
<h2>Why is the Osprey’s safety record so patchy?</h2>
<p>That’s the upside. The downside of being leading-edge technology is having little historical experience of similar aircraft to fall back on. </p>
<p>Every Osprey flight is a learning event for the pilots, the maintenance personnel and the aircraft’s manufacturer. </p>
<p>For example, the US Air Force <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2022/08/exclusive-air-force-special-operations-command-grounds-cv-22-ospreys-due-to-safety-issue/">grounded their Ospreys</a> for two weeks last year over worries about gearbox matters. This has been an ongoing problem that seems to get worse the more an aircraft is flown and the gearbox used; <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/03/24/military-quietly-stops-buying-ospreys-aircraft-faces-uncertain-future.html">technical fixes</a> are in the works. </p>
<p>The central concern today is flying safety and here the Osprey has a mixed record. The aircraft had four crashes and 30 deaths during its initial development. </p>
<p>Since entering operational service in 2007 there have been an <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/27/asia/aircraft-incident-us-defense-personnel-australia-intl-hnk/index.html">additional ten crashes</a> and 24 deaths. </p>
<p>Two of these ten were on combat operations where the cause was uncertain. The others were due to pilot error or technical problems. </p>
<p>A fatal <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/harrowing-video-of-deadly-2017-mv-22-osprey-crash-emerges">crash off Rockhampton</a> in 2017 can be seen in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGVpFmOShAg">a terrifying video</a> that also shows operating the Osprey is a complicated business.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A wide angle view of a cabin with two seats and a series of screens and complex controls in front" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544977/original/file-20230828-25-badfi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cockpit of a V-22 Osprey on display at Dubai Airshow in 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Will the Osprey get safer?</h2>
<p>As the Osprey has flown more, more knowledge has been gained and the accident rate has declined. However, its accidents have tended to come in bunches. In the eight months from December 2016 to September 2017 there were three crashes; in the 18 months from March 2022 to now, there have been another three.</p>
<p>This all compares very unfavourably with American civil aviation, which has a much better safety record. In 2020, a <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/pentagon-convenes-safety-council-to-address-soaring-aviation-accident-rate/150010.article">report</a> by the National Commission on Military Aviation Safety said the main culprits for the US military’s air accidents were insufficient flying hours to keep aircrew proficient, inadequate personnel training, inconsistent funding for spare parts supply and risky maintenance practices. </p>
<p>The implication is that safety can be improved. It just needs to be properly addressed.</p>
<p>Historically, the safety record of revolutionary aircraft like the Osprey improves as more operating experience is gained and unknown technical problems are found and addressed. That was certainly the Australian experience with the F-111 strike aircraft, which had an early run of crashes followed by many years of safe operation.</p>
<h2>Will we see more tiltrotors like the Osprey in future?</h2>
<p>This is important as the Osprey looks set to be the first of its type, not the last. The US Army has chosen a new generation tiltrotor, <a href="https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/12/5/bell-tiltrotor-wins-billion-dollar-helo-contract">the V-280 Valor</a>, to replace its ageing Blackhawk helicopters. </p>
<p>Over time, the Valors will inevitably be deployed to Australia on training exercises. Meanwhile, Australia is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-07/new-army-black-hawks-arrive-as-taipan-probe-continues/102695564">acquiring Blackhawks</a> to replace the Australian Army’s Taipan helicopters, which are apparently difficult to maintain.</p>
<p>When those new Blackhawks eventually are themselves replaced, it is likely Australia will go the way of the US and buy tiltrotors too. Civil aviation is getting <a href="https://helicopters.leonardo.com/en/products/aw609">interested in tiltrotors</a> as well.</p>
<p>Tiltrotors like the Osprey and its successors are likely to fly in Australian skies well into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212358/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Layton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>54 people have died in crashes of the controversial ‘tiltrotor’ V-22 Osprey aircraft – but the military advantage it offers is too great to be discounted.Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2121682023-08-24T00:23:32Z2023-08-24T00:23:32ZWagner group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly died in private jet crash – if confirmed, it wouldn’t be first time someone who crossed Putin met a suspicious demise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544377/original/file-20230823-23-5on0z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C594%2C3280%2C2469&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wagner group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, photographed on June 24, 2023, in Russia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/head-of-the-wagner-group-yevgeny-prigozhin-left-the-news-photo/1259027097?adppopup=true">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Russian mercenary leader <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-wagner-prigozhin-jet-crash-a7859e4e57f2efa2547dfbe5bdbaa1b2">Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group</a>, reportedly died when a private jet he was said to be on crashed on Aug. 23, 2023, killing all 10 people on board.</em> </p>
<p><em>The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed that Prigozhin, who had led a brief rebellion again the Russian military two months earlier, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/europe/russia-wagner-prigozhin-plane-crash-intl/index.html">was among the dead</a>. However, Prigozhin was believed to have numerous passports, and he would <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/pentagon-suspects-head-wagner-group-110104468.html">compel others to travel under his name</a> to protect him from possible attacks.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation U.S. asked national security scholar <a href="https://spatial.usc.edu/team-view/gregory-f-treverton/">Gregory F. Treverton</a>, a former chairman of the National Intelligence Council in the Obama administration, to explain what Prigozhin’s death would signify.</em> </p>
<h2>Who was – or is – Prigozhin?</h2>
<p>Prigozhin <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/europe/wagner-chief-yevgeny-prigozhin-russia-intl/index.html">came from humble beginnings</a>. </p>
<p>He was a petty criminal who, after serving nine years in a Soviet prison, became a hot dog vendor and eventually owned elegant restaurants and a catering service. He was best known as the rich and connected leader of the Wagner group, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/russias-reliance-on-mercenaries-in-ukraine-points-to-the-weakness-of-its-military-and-putins-strategy-of-deflecting-blame-190612">private military force with links to the Russian government</a>. Wagner troops fought on the Russian side in Ukraine, but Prigozhin went public in the spring of 2023 with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-russia-nuclear-647a545db4e4628676ff7db5b1bded34">criticism of the conflict’s cost</a> in terms of Wagner troops and complaints about the way the war was being fought by the Russian government. Defense Minister <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65996531">Sergey Shoigu</a> was a particular target of Prigozhin’s complaints regarding military strategy.</p>
<p>In June, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/23/europe/wagner-prigozhin-criminal-case-explainer-intl/index.html">Prigozhin orchestrated what was effectively a revolt</a> against Russia’s government. He dispatched Wagner troops on a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/russia-launches-criminal-probe-over-wagner-group-leaders-threats-against-defense-minister">march unimpeded toward Moscow</a>.</p>
<p>Prigozhin was 62 years old at the time of the crash.</p>
<h2>What was his relationship with President Vladimir Putin?</h2>
<p>It was complicated, to say the least. </p>
<p>An oligarch, Prigozhin was thought to be close to the Russian leader. He was called “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1160851615/russia-putin-chef-yevgeny-prigozhin-wagner-group">Putin’s chef</a>” due to the services he provided the Kremlin and the personal touches he employed when <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-yevgeny-prigozhin-how-a-one-time-food-caterer-became-vladimir-putins-biggest-threat-208450">Putin dined in his restaurants</a>.</p>
<p>In June, when he launched his mutiny against Moscow, Prigozhin must have realized he had gone too far with his public rebukes. The only general he admired, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/30/europe/russian-general-sergey-surovikin-wagner-vip-intl-hnk/index.html">Sergey Surovikin</a>, released a video message telling him to stand down and to “obey” Putin. Prigozhin soon disbanded the march, saying he wanted to spare “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wagner-chief-prigozhin-russia-truce-brokered-by-belarus/">Russian blood</a>.” Afterward, the mercenary leader said he met with Putin before leaving for what was expected to be his exile in Belarus. </p>
<p>At the time, I was looking for cracks in Russia’s will to fight, particularly in its military. At some level, it has to hate hemorrhaging men and materiel in a conflict that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/06/europe/captured-russian-soldiers-ukraine-intl-cmd/index.html">many conscripts don’t even understand</a> or support.</p>
<p>In that sense, I saw Prigozhin’s criticisms of Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine as a positive sign, especially as his take seemed to resonate with the Russian people and even its armed forces. Yet when it looked like Prigozhin might prevail, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/30/vladimir-putin-ousted-wagner-group-00104272">American officials were worried</a>. As the saying goes: When the gods wish to punish us, they grant us our wishes. Would putting an end to Putin’s rule lead to chaos in Russia, and how dangerous would that be with <a href="https://theconversation.com/prigozhin-revolt-raised-fears-of-putins-toppling-and-a-nuclear-russia-in-chaos-208731">all of those nuclear weapons</a> it harbors? </p>
<h2>Why do you think Putin’s opponents, many of whom are dead or imprisoned, have met so much misfortune?</h2>
<p>It was painfully plain that after his failed rebellion, Prigozhin was a dead man flying.</p>
<p>Indeed, the surprise was that Putin dropped charges and let him go, albeit to Russia’s vassal ally, Belarus. But many believe, including me, that Prigozhin was destined to eventually meet the <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2022/09/22/accidental-defenestration-and-murder-suicides-too-common-among-russian-oligarchs-and-putin">fate of others who have crossed Putin</a>.</p>
<p>That growing list includes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/29/gunman-found-guilty-murdering-russian-opposition-leader-boris-nemtsov">Boris Nemtsov</a>, the Russian physicist, politician and critic of Putin who was assassinated in 2015, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/alexei-navalny-leads-russians-in-a-historic-battle-against-arbitrary-rule-with-words-echoing-catherine-the-great-154717">Alexei Navalny</a>, the Russian opposition leader who remains in prison after Putin allegedly orchestrated his poisoning in 2020. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1694400159579525245"}"></div></p>
<h2>Would Prigozhin’s death change anything for US policy toward Putin and Russia?</h2>
<p>In the end, unless Prigozhin’s rebellion does turn out to have planted the seeds of real resistance, I don’t believe his death is likely to change the course of the Ukraine war or U.S. policy toward Putin and Russia.</p>
<p>However, it’s likely to take Wagner troops, which had been <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wagner-groups-armed-rebellion-russias-endgame-ukraine/story?id=100169872">among Russia’s most effective</a>, out of the conflict in Ukraine. And it may wind up diminishing <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/22/prigozhin-africa-wagner-russia/">Wagner’s operations in Africa</a>, which until now have furthered Russian interests. Yet the Ukraine war has become America’s war, and the U.S. government doesn’t want to see Ukraine lose it – even if it doesn’t win dramatically. </p>
<p>The United States will still have to deal with Putin as it continues to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/03/fact-sheet-the-united-states-continues-to-target-russian-oligarchs-enabling-putins-war-of-choice">sanction him and his associates</a>, and ultimately seeks to see him tried as a war criminal.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212168/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory F. Treverton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The lesson in the presumed death of the mercenary leader two months after his mutiny against Putin: Don’t make yourself an enemy of Russia’s leader.Gregory F. Treverton, Professor of Practice in International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2058082023-05-17T20:14:05Z2023-05-17T20:14:05ZLooming WestJet strike illustrates the lasting impact deregulation has had on the aviation industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526871/original/file-20230517-9933-icqnfp.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C5%2C3994%2C2407&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the Air Line Pilots Association demonstrate amid contract negotiations outside the WestJet headquarters in Calgary on March 31, 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/looming-westjet-strike-illustrates-the-lasting-impact-deregulation-has-had-on-the-aviation-industry" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>WestJet pilots are poised to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9700932/westjet-pilots-72-hour-strike-notice/">start striking on Friday</a> after issuing a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-strike-action-travel-canada-1.6844601">72-hour strike notice</a>, leaving some Canadians’ long weekend travel plans up in the air. </p>
<p>Contract negotiations between the Air Line Pilots Association and airline management fell through over <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/9701608/westjet-pilots-threaten-strike/">pay, work conditions and job protections</a>. According to the <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/massive-gap-between-westjet-pilots-union-as-strike-looms-and-bookings-fall-ceo-1.6401897">CEO of WestJet</a>, there is still a massive gap between the expectations of pilots and that of the airline. </p>
<p>One of the key issues that has led to the current dispute is pilot retention. A high number of pilots have been leaving WestJet, resulting in scheduling uncertainty for those who remain. </p>
<p>Additionally, pilots are concerned about the two-tier system of pay between pilots at WestJet and its subsidiary, Swoop. The pilots’ union has also pointed to the significant difference in levels of pay at WestJet — <a href="https://simpleflying.com/westjet-fleet-in-2023/">the second largest airline in Canada</a> — and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/air-canada-pilots-decry-embarrassing-pay-gap-with-us-after-delta-deal-2023-03-03/">counterparts in the United States</a>. </p>
<p>While contract negotiations are still ongoing, flying customers are undoubtedly watching the situation unfold nervously. If the strike action goes ahead, it will result in problems for all involved — customers, pilots and the airline.</p>
<p>Customers will face flight cancellations, pilots will lose out on pay, and the airline itself will suffer revenue losses from the cancelled flights. The airline might also experience decreased customer confidence regarding future bookings.</p>
<h2>The legacy of deregulation</h2>
<p>While COVID-19 <a href="https://theconversation.com/air-traffic-control-funding-model-ravaged-by-pandemic-as-industry-struggles-to-recover-185663">undoubtedly impacted the aviation industry</a>, problems were already present prior to the pandemic. The crisis simply intensified these issues.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/transportation-regulation">deregulation of commercial aviation </a> provided airlines with the motive, means and opportunity to reduce costs.</p>
<p>Deregulation meant that airlines were able to set the fare for their flights, thereby generating a powerful incentive to compete on fare and to reduce costs in order to do so. Deregulation also saw the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1581.4800">emergence of new low-cost carriers</a> that directly competed with established airlines and whose success <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3678.6322">intensified cost reduction at established airlines</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A row of men wearing navy pilot uniforms hold protest signs in the background of a photo as someone unpacks luggage from the trunk of a car in front of them." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526886/original/file-20230517-17-jh8yxt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">WestJet Airlines pilots stand on a picket line at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 8, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is difficult for an airline to reduce many operational costs, such as fuel. One cost that isn’t fixed is the cost of labour. It should come as no surprise that cost-cutting in response to deregulation led to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2020.101968">reduction in labour costs and reduced terms and conditions of employment</a>.</p>
<p>While reduced terms and conditions of employment is bad for all employees affected, operating with inferior terms and conditions for highly trained employees like pilots is a high-risk strategy for any airline.</p>
<p>Pilots can, and do, leave one airline for another if the terms and conditions are better, as the case of <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9695725/westjet-pilots-contract-talks/">WestJet in recent years demonstrates</a>.</p>
<h2>Labour supply problems</h2>
<p>Cutting labour costs has created a labour supply problem. Becoming an airline pilot is <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pilot-shortage-super-t-atac-wellington-waterloo-1.4471354">far less attractive than it once was</a>. </p>
<p>The time commitment required to become a commercial aviator is significant and the total financial commitment is estimated to be around <a href="https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-a-pilot">$100,000</a>. </p>
<p>That is a daunting sum, especially when one’s starting salary can be $65,000 and a pilot can lose their license at any point because commercial aviation has high reliability standards; pilot mental and physical health must be paramount.</p>
<p>The labour supply problem has recently been used in support of a <a href="https://www.icao.int/Meetings/a41/Documents/WP/wp_101_en.pdf">proposal</a> for <a href="https://simpleflying.com/single-pilot-operations-risks-challenges/">single pilot operations</a>. Single pilot operations would mean a single pilot rather than two in the flight deck assisted by a remote pilot if necessary.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A crowd of pilots in uniform stand facing the camera. Almost all of them are wearing sunglasses." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526882/original/file-20230517-12466-5x4o5q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">WestJet Airlines pilots assemble for a group photo after standing on a picket line at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 8, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Deregulation has ultimately reduced the supply of pilots, creating a tighter labour market. This, in turn, has been used to justify reducing the requirement for pilots. </p>
<p>As a resolution to the insufficient supply of pilots, this policy is fraught with numerous problems. These problems include safety and security concerns, a negative impact on other employee groups in aviation — like cabin crew and air traffic control officers — and the perpetuation of a <a href="https://www.zippia.com/airplane-pilot-jobs/demographics/">field dominated by white men</a>. If the requirement for pilots drops, so does the probability of greater diversity. </p>
<p>It’s unlikely that commercial airlines will be able to introduce single pilot operations any time soon. The proposal is still under discussion by aviation authorities.</p>
<p>In the meantime, what should airlines do to attract and retain pilots?</p>
<h2>Investing in employees</h2>
<p>One approach is to invest in employees as illustrated by the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/01/business/delta-pilots-approve-contract.html">pay deal struck by pilots at Delta Air Lines</a>. Pilots approved a new contract to increase pay by 34 per cent pay by 2026. </p>
<p>This deal is not just good for improving labour conditions — it is good business sense. Raising wages in this way enhances what is known as <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/external-equity">external equity</a>, or the perceived fairness of wages compared to other employers. It increases employee commitment to their employer, and thereby improves staff retention. </p>
<p>Airlines — WestJet included — are service providers dependent upon the efforts of employees. As <a href="https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/17-powerfully-inspiring-quotes-from-southwest-airlines-founder-herb-kelleher.html">Herb Kelleher</a>, founder and former CEO of one of the most successful and incidentally most highly unionized airlines in the U.S., Southwest Airlines, once said: “Your people come first, and if you treat them right, they’ll treat the customers right.”</p>
<p>Investment in employees is the key to airline success. WestJet might discover this the hard way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205808/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geraint Harvey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While the pandemic undoubtedly impacted the aviation industry, its problems were already present prior to COVID-19. The pandemic simply intensified these issues.Geraint Harvey, DANCAP Private Equity Chair in Human Organization, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2054842023-05-17T04:04:11Z2023-05-17T04:04:11ZThere’s a buzz about ‘sustainable’ fuels – but they cannot solve aviation’s colossal climate woes<p>The global airline industry is fast recovering from the unprecedented pause to flying imposed by COVID-19. In some parts of the world, such as <a href="https://www.agbi.com/analysis/the-battle-for-menas-skies-by-gulf-airlines/">the Middle East</a>, airlines are even expanding rapidly – well beyond pre-pandemic levels.</p>
<p>But how will the industry continue to grow while doing its fair share on climate change? Unless global aviation changes tack, its greenhouse gas emissions are <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac286e">projected</a> to cause about 0.1°C of total global warming by 2050.</p>
<p>So-called “sustainable aviation fuels” are being promoted by the aviation and energy industries as the preferred solution. These fuels can be made from organic matter such as plants (also known as biomass), waste such as used cooking oil, and synthetic kerosene.</p>
<p>However, as our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723025044">new research</a> shows, sustainable aviation fuel is not a silver bullet. Even if the industry could make the shift, there’s not enough land or renewable energy potential on Earth to produce all the sustainable fuels airlines need.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="harvester in crop field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526688/original/file-20230517-19-4kdxgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There’s not enough land to produce all the sustainable fuels airlines need.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A tough ask</h2>
<p>In 2021, the International Air Transport Association released a <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/flynetzero/">plan</a> for airlines to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. </p>
<p>Individual airlines have made similar commitments, including <a href="https://news.aa.com/esg/climate-change/pathway-to-net-zero/">American Airlines</a>, <a href="https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/qantas/pdfs/about-us/environment/qantas-group-climate-action-plan.pdf">Qantas</a> and <a href="https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability-carbon-reduction-management">Air New Zealand</a>.</p>
<p>But there are very few low-carbon alternatives to traditional fossil jet fuel. That makes reducing emissions from the aviation sector extremely difficult. </p>
<p>Two options – batteries and liquid hydrogen – face significant challenges. For example, neither are suitable for long-haul flights. That’s why industry is turning to sustainable aviation fuels. </p>
<p>These fuels effectively perform in the same way as their fossil fuel-derived counterparts. They are suitable for long flights and can be used in existing planes so airlines wouldn’t have to replace whole fleets.</p>
<p>But at the moment, <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2022-releases/2022-12-07-01/#:%7E:text=To%20date%2C%20over%20450%2C000%20commercial,offtake%20agreements%20have%20been%20announced">very little</a> sustainable aviation fuel is being produced – and it’s <a href="https://theicct.org/publication/fuels-us-eu-cost-ekerosene-mar22/">much more expensive</a> than fossil jet fuel.</p>
<p>Sustainable aviation fuel also raises serious environmental concerns. So is the transition actually feasible? Our new research set out to answer this question.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/green-hydrogen-funding-is-a-step-forward-but-a-step-doesnt-win-the-race-205390">Green hydrogen funding is a step forward – but a step doesn't win the race</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723025044">study</a> involved analysing 12 “roadmaps” or plans for decarbonising the global aviation industry. They were published by the industry, outside organisations and academics. </p>
<p>We found the plans rely heavily on biofuels in the medium-term and synthetic e-kerosene in the longer term. </p>
<p>Currently, all sustainable aviation fuels used commercially are produced from food waste such as cooking oil or animal fat. Energy crops (such as soy and willow), agricultural residues (husks, bagasse), and forest biomass (such as logging residue and manufacturing waste) provide larger volumes of raw materials, but chemical engineering processes to turn them into fuel are still developing.</p>
<p>If e-kerosene is to be produced cleanly, it requires electricity produced from renewable energy sources to “split” the water (a process called electrolysis) and produce hydrogen. This hydrogen is then combined with carbon dioxide.</p>
<p>Our research found the roadmaps largely omitted a number of fundamental problems with sustainable aviation fuels.</p>
<p>The first is the huge amount of biomass and clean energy needed. On average across the roadmaps, producing sustainable aviation fuels would require about 9% of global renewable electricity and 30% of available biomass in 2050. Even then, about 30% of fuel used by airlines in 2050 would be fossil-derived. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-flight-in-a-net-zero-carbon-world-9-scenarios-lots-of-sustainable-aviation-fuel-199062">The future of flight in a net-zero-carbon world: 9 scenarios, lots of sustainable aviation fuel</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="man refuels plane" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526691/original/file-20230517-19-141l56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Producing sustainable aviation fuels would require about 9% of global renewable electricity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other industries also use biomass resources. For example, the cosmetics industry uses tallow in skincare products. Bagasse – the pulp left after sugar cane juice is extracted – is used for heat in sugar mills. So demand for sustainable aviation fuels risks displacing other industries.</p>
<p>Second, the process of converting raw materials into sustainable aviation fuels leads to a major loss of energy, in the form of heat. In the case of <a href="https://missionpossiblepartnership.org/action-sectors/aviation/">e-kerosene</a>, only about 15% of the primary renewable electricity remains to power the aircraft.</p>
<p>Not only is this inefficient, it leaves less clean energy for other industries wanting to decarbonise.</p>
<p>Third, producing sustainable aviation fuels creates greenhouse gas emissions. Growing bio-crops, for instance, requires the use of emissions-intensive fertiliser, harvest machinery and transport. </p>
<p>And already, vast tracts of rainforest are being <a href="https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss4/art29/">razed</a> to make way for crops used in biofuels. If sustainable aviation fuels were produced in this way, they’d be <a href="https://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/biofuels-climate-mistake-heres-why/">considerably worse</a> for the climate than fossil fuels. </p>
<p>Finally, carbon dioxide is not the only aviation emission that contributes to climate change. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231020305689?via%3Dihub">Others include</a> nitrogen oxides, water vapour and soot. Research to date is inconclusive about whether sustainable aviation fuels will improve this problem.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="palm oil plantation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526692/original/file-20230517-17-6180fs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Native vegetation is being destroyed to make way for biofuel crops. Pictured, a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Karen Michelmore/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Unrealistic and irresponsible’</h2>
<p>The above is not an exhaustive list of the potential climate damage caused by sustainable aviation fuels. But clearly, while the fuels will play a useful role to some extent, the industry’s growth plans are unrealistic and irresponsible. </p>
<p>Private and government investment should instead be directed to lower-carbon forms of transport, such as rail. And for the travelling public, a shift in mindset is required, involving how often and how far we need to travel.</p>
<p>Aviation is not the only industry that must rapidly decarbonise in coming decades. The whole global energy system needs to transition. </p>
<p>That means airlines must not take more than their fair share of finite resources to claim the label of “sustainable”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tourism-desperately-wants-a-return-to-the-old-normal-but-that-would-be-a-disaster-154182">Tourism desperately wants a return to the 'old normal' but that would be a disaster</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susanne Becken currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Green Growth and Travelism, and the UNWTO. She is a member of the Air New Zealand Sustainability Advisory Panel and member of the Independent Advisory Group of Travalyst. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Simon Lee receives funding from the UK Department for Transport, the UKRI (Aerospace Technology Institute) and the EU H2020 research scheme. He is a member of the UK Jet Zero Council and a co-rapporteur of the International Civil Aviation Organization's Impacts and Science Group, and a Member of the UK Civil Aviation Authority's Environmental Sustainability Panel. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brendan Mackey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even if the industry could make the shift, there’s not enough land or renewable energy potential on Earth to produce all the sustainable fuels airlines need.Susanne Becken, Professor of Sustainable Tourism, Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith UniversityBrendan Mackey, Director, Griffith Climate Action Beacon, Griffith UniversityDavid Simon Lee, Professor of atmospheric science, Aviation and Climate Research Group Leader, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2014642023-05-04T23:57:52Z2023-05-04T23:57:52ZCurious Kids: What happens when you flush a toilet on a plane?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514369/original/file-20230309-22-u0roc3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C0%2C3387%2C2412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AirP72/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>What happens when you flush a toilet on a plane? –Lily, aged 6, Harcourt</em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291898/original/file-20190911-190031-enlxbk.png" width="100%"></a></p>
<p>Lily this is a great question! It doesn’t work like your toilet at home, <a href="https://sciencing.com/explain-gravity-child-2100456.html">which uses gravity</a> to remove waste from our toilets into the sewer system. An aeroplane toilet uses a <a href="https://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/bitstream-download/123456789/75317/1/Medvediev_jes_2019_02.pdf;jsessionid=5A638D700F8C1151FA2F0ACA91E8DE1A">vacuum system</a> along with a blue chemical that cleans and removes odours every time you flush.</p>
<h2>A smelly tank</h2>
<p>The waste and blue cleaning fluid ends up in a storage tank under the floor, in the very back of the cargo hold of the aeroplane. With so many people on the plane using the toilets, you can imagine how big the storage tank is!</p>
<p>The system is designed very much like the vacuum cleaners we use around the house to remove dirt and dust from our floors. This dirt and dust ends up in a container that we empty into a garbage bin. Similarly, the aeroplane’s toilets need the vacuum pressure system to move all the waste from the toilet into the plumbing pipe that connects the toilet to the storage tank, and finally into the tank.</p>
<p>There is a valve on the storage tank that opens when a toilet is flushed and closes when the toilet is not in use – to prevent odours from leaving the tank. This helps to keep the smell down from so many people using the toilet during a flight. The blue chemical helps to keep the smell down as well. </p>
<h2>Where does it go once the plane lands?</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/indhealth/48/1/48_1_123/_pdf">special truck</a> comes to the aircraft after it lands and connects a hose to remove the waste and blue cleaning chemical into a storage tank on the truck. The truck plugs a hose into the airplane’s waste tank valve and removes all of the waste into the tank on the back of the truck.</p>
<p>The truck then takes the waste to a special area at the airport reserved for the waste from all aeroplanes, and the toilet waste is emptied into the sewer system for that airport. The training to operate the truck takes three days.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The nose of a parked plane with several vehicles next to it, along with a fuel hose snaking along the ground" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516840/original/file-20230322-135-1qr8v1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Various trucks and vehicles will service the plane, load fuel, load cargo and take away waste at the airport.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">aappp/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Watch out for blue ice</h2>
<p>It has also been reported that sometimes, particularly on older planes, the valve where the waste truck connects to the aeroplane <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ice_(aviation)">can leak a small amount</a> of the waste and blue chemical. This turns to ice as the temperature at normal cruising altitude of 30,000 feet is normally around -56°C and the chemical turns to “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-28/facing-our-fears-of-falling-frozen-flight-faeces/9368144">blue ice</a>”. This blue ice remains attached to the plane as long as the temperature remains below freezing.</p>
<p>Once the aeroplane begins to descend to land at the destination airport, the blue ice begins to thaw and may even fall off. There have been several occasions <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/scientist-identifies-plane-which-dropped-blue-ice-on-mp-woman-wants-dgca-to-affirm/articleshow/54962752.cms?from=mdr">reported in the news</a> where people have witnessed this <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/i-m-covered-in-poo-transport-canada-investigating-feces-falling-from-sky-1.3956501">flying poo</a>!</p>
<p>In case you were wondering, the captain of the plane doesn’t have a button to release the waste from the storage tank while the plane is flying. Any waste that might leak out of the plane would be totally accidental.</p>
<p>Some people do think <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101611-chemtrails-conspiracy-theory-gets-put-to-the-ultimate-test/">aeroplane contrails</a> (the white lines planes sometimes leave in the sky) are either a special mind-control chemical or toilet waste. This is not true! What you are actually seeing are water vapours coming from the engine becoming <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2018/02/hot-topic-should-i-worry-about-chemtrails">ice crystals</a> – like a thin cloud in the sky.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-where-do-clouds-come-from-and-why-do-they-have-different-shapes-102404">Curious Kids: where do clouds come from and why do they have different shapes?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Unlike our toilets at home, plane toilets have to ‘suck’ the waste with a vacuum system. But don’t worry, it doesn’t get released into the air.Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2024002023-03-29T19:26:53Z2023-03-29T19:26:53ZAirplanes face a growing risk of being hit by uncontrolled re-entries of rockets used to launch satellites<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517907/original/file-20230328-21-a6pz02.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3996%2C1944&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites launches on Aug. 19, 2022. The Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket and its re-entry is controlled after launch, reducing debris.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via AP)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/airplanes-face-a-growing-risk-of-being-hit-by-uncontrolled-re-entries-of-rockets-used-to-launch-satellites" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>On May 11, 2020 a deadly threat flew from Los Angeles to New York City in under nine minutes. It was a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/chinese-rocket-debris-passed-over-n-y-c-l-it-n1206311">20-tonne Chinese Long March 5B rocket body passing around 60 miles overhead</a>. </p>
<p>Just 15 minutes later, the rocket body re-entered the atmosphere and broke into pieces, including a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2020/05/12/parts-of-a-chinese-rocket-may-have-fallen-on-an-african-village/">12-metre-long pipe that crashed into a village in the Ivory Coast</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1260222397350887425"}"></div></p>
<p>The rocket body had completed its mission and been abandoned in orbit, left to return to the surface in an uncontrolled way. It posed an indiscriminate threat to people across the globe — on the ground, at sea, and in aircraft in flight. <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2327922-10-per-cent-chance-falling-rockets-will-hit-someone-in-next-decade/">The probability of a lethal impact was very small</a>, but the consequences could have been severe.</p>
<h2>Weighing cost against risk</h2>
<p>At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided not to close U.S. airspace — denying planes permission to fly within a designated area — along the rocket body’s path. The timeframe for making such a decision was very short and fraught with uncertainty, while the economic costs to airlines and passengers were certain and large.</p>
<p>In circumstances like these, decision-makers have to weigh the economic costs against taking no action but accepting a small probability of casualties. The FAA chose the latter.</p>
<p>On Nov. 4, 2022, Spain and France closed parts of their airspace for 40 and 60 minutes respectively, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/04/spanish-airspace-partially-closed-as-chinese-rocket-debris-falls-to-earth">another Chinese Long March 5B rocket body was due to re-enter the atmosphere uncontrolled</a>. The rocket body passed harmlessly overhead, before breaking up over the Pacific Ocean. </p>
<p><a href="https://spacenews.com/long-march-5b-stage-reenters-over-pacific-ocean-after-forcing-airspace-closures-in-europe/">More than 300 flights were disrupted</a> by the Spanish airspace closure alone, costing airlines and passengers millions of Euros.</p>
<p>Which approach was correct? Nobody likes delays, yet we all expect airlines and regulators to put safety first. Nevertheless, why are aviation agencies being forced to make these decisions at all?</p>
<h2>No confirmed instances</h2>
<p>An aircraft in flight could be seriously damaged by just 300 grams of space debris impacting an engine, windshield or other critical surface. Although there are no confirmed instances of space debris hitting an aircraft in flight, in 1996 the windscreen of a Boeing 757 was cracked by <a href="https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/dodging-debris/">an unknown object while flying at 31,500 feet</a>. </p>
<p>In 2013, another Boeing 757 had one side of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-passenger-jet-makes-emergency-landing-after-being-hit-by-ufo-unidentified-foreign-object-at-26-000-feet-8654040.html">its nose-cone punched in by an unidentified object while flying at 26,000 feet</a>. Bird strikes were unlikely in these instances.</p>
<p>There’s no need for any of us to worry. The probability of an airplane being struck by space debris is extremely small — much smaller than a <a href="https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/wildlife/faq">bird strike</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a photograph showing a rocket taking off in the distance while a crowd of people watch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517560/original/file-20230327-22-ht1uqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People watch the Long March 5B Y3 carrier rocket lift off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China on July 24, 2022. Authorities warned of potential danger to aircraft and ships.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Zhang Liyun/Xinhua via AP, File)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But even very small probabilities can have severe consequences that justify regulatory action. In 2021, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was linked to <a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-ema-finds-possible-link-very-rare-cases-unusual-blood-clots-low-blood">a very small risk of blood clots — a total of 222 cases among 34 million people</a>, or 0.0007 per cent. </p>
<p>A number of countries responded by curtailing and, in the case of the U.S., not licensing the use of AstraZeneca, <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/coronavirus-vaccine-blood-clots">thus favoring more expensive MRNA vaccines</a> .</p>
<p>Today, two factors combine to increase the probability of an airplane being struck by space debris: increasing air traffic and increasing uses of space. COVID-19 aside, <a href="https://www.icao.int/about-icao/Pages/annual-reports.aspx">the number of airline flights each year has doubled since the millennium</a>. </p>
<p>In just the last four years the number of active and defunct satellites in low Earth orbit has also doubled, <a href="https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/derived/currentcat.html">from approximately 3,000 to more than 8,000</a>.</p>
<h2>Controlled versus uncontrolled</h2>
<p>Satellites are launched using rockets, and while some rocket bodies are brought back to Earth in a controlled manner, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.03.030">many are simply abandoned in orbit</a>.</p>
<p>Uncontrolled re-entries occur because objects orbiting at low enough altitudes still feel the effects of the uppermost portions of Earth’s atmosphere, creating a drag that ensures an eventual re-entry. Predicting these re-entries is very difficult due to a <a href="http://iaass.space-safety.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2021/12/Making-Space-Safe-and-Sustainable-A4-v1-3.pdf">myriad of factors</a> that include variations in the atmosphere itself.</p>
<p>In contrast, a controlled re-entry is performed by using an engine burn that directs the rocket body to a remote area of ocean or a recovery zone. Some fuel must be retained in the rocket body for this purpose, and the engines must be able to reignite.</p>
<p>Yet many operators still <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsse.2019.02.001">choose to use uncontrolled re-entries</a>, presumably to avoid the additional costs associated with technological upgrades and extra fuel. </p>
<p>Even SpaceX, an industry leader in technology development, sometimes abandons <a href="https://everydayastronaut.com/ses-18-ses-19-falcon-9-block-5/">the second stages of its rockets after lifting satellites destined for geosynchronous orbit</a>. In 2016, two pressure vessels — each the size of a washing machine — from one such stage reached the ground intact, <a href="https://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-jcsat-16/spacex-rocket-parts-rain-down-over-indonesia/">landing in Indonesia</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OhBw5yaR_SU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A controlled re-entry of the European Space Agency’s automated transfer vehicle Jules Verne in Sept. 2008.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aviation bodies are taking notice, <a href="https://www.icao.int/secretariat/SecretaryGeneral/Documents/Addresses%20and%20Messages/20230217_SG-SPEECH-SpaceDerbisWorkshop.pdf">including the International Civil Aviation Organization</a> and <a href="https://www.alpa.org/-/media/ALPA/Files/pdfs/news-events/letters/2021/0514-icao-fang-liu-rocket.pdf?la=en">the Air Line Pilots Association</a>. </p>
<p>In March 2023, the <a href="http://outerspaceinstitute.ca/">Montréal Recommendations on Aviation Safety and Uncontrolled Space Object Reentries</a> were released. The recommendations were compiled by international experts, including the Inspector General of the French Space Agency and the Chief of Space Safety in the U.S. Department of the Air Force.</p>
<p>Recognizing that the “use of space by any single state has global implications, with risks potentially exported from launching states to other states,” the recommendations call on states to “establish requirements to avoid uncontrolled re-entries of space objects.”</p>
<p>Will it take a major accident, such as a catastrophic strike to an airplane, before public concern forces governments to require that all rocket bodies be brought back to Earth in a controlled manner?</p>
<h2>Successful policies</h2>
<p>We’ve been here before. In the 1970s, a growing risk to oceans from oil spills led <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24113126">to calls for a requirement for double hulls on tankers</a>. The shipping industry, concerned about increased costs, was able to stifle these efforts — until 1989, when <a href="https://darrp.noaa.gov/oil-spills/exxon-valdez">the Exxon Valdez spilled roughly 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound</a>.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the issue of oil spills was a matter of public concern, and after the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that a double hull would <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAR9004.pdf">have substantially reduced if not eliminated the spill</a>, the U.S. government required <a href="https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/final-farewell-oil-tankers-single-hulls.html">all new tankers calling at U.S. ports to have double hulls</a>. </p>
<p>This unilateral move prompted the International Maritime Organization to amend the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships in 1992 to require double hulls on new tankers. And, through further amendments in 2001 and 2003, to <a href="http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/constructionrequirements.aspx">accelerate the retirement of single-hulled tankers</a>. </p>
<p>The 1992 amendment has since been ratified by 150 nations <a href="http://www.imo.org/en/About/Conventions/Pages/StatusOfConventions.aspx">representing 98 per cent of the world’s shipping tonnage</a>.</p>
<p>One of the most informative aspects of this precedent is that the U.S. adopted a double-hull requirement before any other nation, and this move then prompted successful multilateral law-making.</p>
<p>Today, uncontrolled rocket body re-entries are another international safety issue where the U.S. could lead.</p>
<p>The FAA licenses the majority of the world’s space launches and regulates one of the largest aviation industries. It is perfectly positioned to spur international change — before an airplane full of passengers is struck from the sky.</p>
<p><em>This is a corrected version of a story originally published on March 29. The earlier story said that the Montréal Recommendations on Aviation Safety and Uncontrolled Space Object Reentries was published in 2022 instead of 2023.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202400/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Byers receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, New Frontiers in Research Fund, and the Department of National Defence. He is affiliated with the Outer Space Institute and the Salt Spring Forum. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aaron Boley receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, New Frontiers in Research Fund, and the Department of National Defence. He is affiliated with the Outer Space Institute. </span></em></p>Rockets used to launch satellites fall back to Earth, and as their number grows, the risk faced by people living on the ground — or flying in airplanes — increases.Michael Byers, Professor, Political Science, University of British ColumbiaAaron Boley, Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2015542023-03-11T12:59:49Z2023-03-11T12:59:49ZJetBlue merger with Spirit not cleared for takeoff – why Justice Department is suing to scupper deal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514695/original/file-20230310-15-7x9lo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=49%2C106%2C5497%2C3530&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Stuck on the runway?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/JetBlueSpirit/9a027e428c5f4edfb2a7faff690109bf/photo?Query=JetBlue%20Spirit&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=45&currentItemNo=20">AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The U.S. Department of Justice has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/07/doj-sues-to-block-jetblues-3-8-billion-spirit-takeover-00085828">intervened to block a proposed deal</a> that would see carrier JetBlue buy budget service Spirit Airlines.</em></p>
<p><em>In a lawsuit filed on March 7, 2023, the department warned that allowing the US$3.8 billion deal to go through would “<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.254267/gov.uscourts.mad.254267.1.0.pdf">eliminate the unique competition</a>” that Spirit, the lower cost airline, currently provides.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation asked Joe Mazur, an <a href="https://joemazur.io">expert on mergers and acquisitions</a> at Purdue University, what consolidation in the airline industry – and the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger – means for consumers, and why the government is keen to block it.</em></p>
<h2>Why is the Justice Department intervening?</h2>
<p>The JetBlue-Spirit merger would bring more consolidation into an already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-mergers-and-acquisitions-in-the-us-since-2000-2020-3">heavily consolidated industry</a>.</p>
<p>But it is more nuanced than that. JetBlue and Spirit have very different business models – JetBlue has positioned itself at the higher end of the low-cost carrier space, whereas Spirit is a through-and-through, no-frills, ultra-low-cost carrier. It keeps prices down by sacrificing things such as complimentary snacks and drinks, entertainment and comfort.</p>
<p>Although the deal is framed as a merger, it is really an attempted hostile takeover <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2022/10/20/jetblue-spirit-acquisition/">of Spirit by JetBlue</a>. As such, it’s not just the Justice Department that is worried about the impact of losing Spirit. According to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/atr/case-document/file/1573131/download">the official complaint</a>, so too are Spirit’s board of directors.</p>
<p>The presence of an ultra-low-cost service like Spirit has a <a href="https://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/july_dec2004/sungkard.pdf">disciplining effect</a> on prices across the entire market – that is, it helps keep ticket prices down, especially in the markets where it competes.</p>
<p>The biggest concern is that if the merger is allowed to go ahead, JetBlue would simply reconfigure the assets of Spirit to match the service level and prices of JetBlue. For example, as cited in the complaint, JetBlue has indicated it plans to remove some seats from Spirit’s planes in order to bring them in line with the rest of the JetBlue fleet.</p>
<p>If it were the other way around – that is, if Spirit were buying JetBlue – then I’m not sure there would be a problem. Similarly if the merger was between Spirit and fellow low-cost carrier Frontier, a deal that was at <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/27/spirit-airlines-frontier-terminate-deal-that-was-marred-by-jetblues-rival-bid.html">one point on the table</a>, the government may not have gotten involved.</p>
<h2>How does this proposed merger fit the industry trend?</h2>
<p>There has been a ton of consolidation over the last couple of decades. The pursuit of profit motivates most every merger attempt, and it’s no secret that airlines weren’t making money for a long stretch. The 9/11 terrorist attacks, a series of pilot strikes, rising fuel costs, and a couple of recessions <a href="https://doi.org//10.1016/j.jeconbus.2004.06.003">hit the industry hard</a> in the early 2000s.</p>
<p>In 2005, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9317550">filed for bankruptcy</a>. They both restructured, through laying off staff and streamlining services, and came out of bankruptcy a couple years later. Then in 2008 they <a href="https://simpleflying.com/delta-northwest-merger/">announced a merger</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time you started to hear about “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2022/04/18/will-wall-streets-capacity-discipline-enforcers-jump-back-in-as-airlines-report-earnings/?sh=3395d45b4873">capacity discipline</a>” – that is, the reduction, or at least slower introduction, of seats and flights overall. In short, the airlines were not competing as intensively in a bid to make flights more profitable for the entire industry. But such a plan is a lot easier to stick to when there are fewer players.</p>
<p>The deal between Delta and Northwest was followed by a series of other mergers. In 2010, United Airlines merged with Continental in an <a href="https://airwaysmag.com/continental-united-merger-completed/">$8.5 billion deal</a>. A year later, <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2010/09/27/update-southwest-to-buy-airtran-for-14b/28969123007/">Southwest bought AirTran Airways</a> for $1.4 billion.</p>
<p>In 2013, American Airlines and US Airways merged to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/09/american-us-airways-merge-worlds-biggest-airlines">form the largest carrier</a> in the world at that time. Other mergers followed, including the <a href="https://apex.aero/articles/charu-jain-alaska-airlines-virgin-america-merger/#:%7E:text=In%20December%202016%2C%20Alaska%20Airlines,president%20and%20chief%20information%20officer.">combination of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America</a> in 2016. Today, per the government’s official complaint, the largest four airlines represent some 80% of airline traffic.</p>
<p>If the JetBlue-Spirit deal is scuttled, it would be the first time since 2001 that two airlines have <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2001/07/27/deals/united_usair/">abandoned a proposed merger</a> in the face of a lawsuit from the Justice Department. In that case it was a proposed merger between United Airlines and US Airways that the Bush administration claimed would result in <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2001/07/27/deals/united_usair/">higher fares and worse service</a>. Since then the government has stepped in on numerous occasions to block airline mergers, but has eventually given the green light following concessions from the airlines.</p>
<h2>What was behind the trend to consolidate?</h2>
<p>The traditional argument for mergers put forward by airlines is that they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11151-019-09717-2">produce a higher-quality, more efficient product</a> – it is a win-win, they say, generating benefits for consumers and investors alike. Oftentimes this is at least partly true. </p>
<p>However, consolidation also leads to higher profits simply by virtue of reduced competition. That is, you tend to make more money when there aren’t as many competitors. For example, my daughter’s lemonade stand will sell more lemonade if there isn’t a rival stand across the street – and she can even charge more per cup!</p>
<p>Similarly, airlines make more money when fewer of them are competing, and part of that is being able to raise prices for consumers. This aspect of consolidation is where the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/clayton-act">Clayton Act</a>, which outlaws anti-competitive mergers, becomes relevant. And the Clayton Act is the basis for the Justice Department’s suit. </p>
<p>Mergers can also bring about scale efficiencies – there are real, proven benefits to having a large network.</p>
<p>But JetBlue will almost certainly need to restructure the merger if it is to be successful. This would likely mean the divestiture of assets – for example, the sale of landing rights at some airports to budget airlines, or relinquishing gate leases to others – to increase competition. American Airlines and US Airways <a href="https://skift.com/2013/02/13/american-airlines-us-airways-merger-the-concessions-theyll-have-to-make/">agreed to similar concessions</a> before they were allowed to merge, and JetBlue has already indicated plans to divest assets at some airports. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, I do not expect the merger to go through without a drastic change in the expected use of Spirit’s assets.</p>
<h2>Do mergers necessarily mean higher airfare?</h2>
<p>It depends on the merger and the market in question. Studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-2171.12404">vary pretty widely</a> on this issue, based on the methodology they use, the macroeconomic context for the merger, and the type of businesses involved. But generally what you see is that after a merger, prices in overlap markets – those in which the two merging carriers compete – go <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-2171.12404">up by maybe 3-5% overall</a>, with larger increases on the order of 10-15% on routes where the overlap is especially significant. For JetBlue and Spirit, markets in and out of Fort Lauderdale, Boston, Hartford and others are most likely to see significant upticks.</p>
<p>This is because mergers generate upward pricing pressure by reducing competition. But, from a consumer’s point of view, that might be tolerable as long as the resulting product is better. This may be especially true if prices are held down because of resulting efficiency gains.</p>
<p>In the JetBlue and Spirit case, it might mean prices go up for the old Spirit flights, but not so much for the JetBlue flights. So if you are a JetBlue fan, this could be good news. It would mean that you can now fly to more places, and you get the same JetBlue services.</p>
<p>But if you are a Spirit die-hard, you will not like this at all. Instead of paying a lot less, you might have to pay more for a flight with add-ons you can do without. And if you are a frequent flier on just about any other airline, you can expect to lose the price-tempering effects of Spirit in the long run, given that it is the largest and fastest growing ultra-low-cost carrier in the market.</p>
<h2>Are claims that services improve through a merger true?</h2>
<p>The short answer appears to be yes for some mergers but not necessarily on all metrics. One study found that the effect of legacy mergers on fares was negligible and that overall, such deals were pro-competitive because they led to an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijindorg.2017.12.002">increase in capacity</a>.</p>
<p>As to other metrics, such as easier boarding, more on-time flights, or better in-flight services, that is harder to judge. One study of five airline mergers indicated that on-time performance may get better in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joie.12136">long run after the merger</a>, but even if on-time performance did improve, it may be the wrong way to look at service changes. If you are someone who relies on budget pricing, then being on time rather than a few minutes late, and having the option of nuts and a soda, might not be enough to offset the pain of having to hand over more money for the flight in the first place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201554/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joe Mazur has received funding from the National Science Foundation for study of competition models with application to the U.S. airline industry.</span></em></p>The Biden administration fears that further consolidation in the aviation industry will lead to worse outcomes for consumers – but do mergers necessarily push up prices?Joe Mazur, Assistant Professor of Economics, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1990622023-02-06T13:28:10Z2023-02-06T13:28:10ZThe future of flight in a net-zero-carbon world: 9 scenarios, lots of sustainable aviation fuel<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508151/original/file-20230203-26-z6qah6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5003%2C3376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some airlines are already experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/los-angeles-international-airport-royalty-free-image/567874083">Michael H/Stone Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Several <a href="https://carboncredits.com/airlines-race-to-net-zero-carbon-footprint-2/">major airlines</a> have pledged to <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/flynetzero/">reach net-zero</a> carbon emissions by midcentury to fight climate change. It’s an ambitious goal that will require an enormous ramp-up in sustainable aviation fuels, but that alone won’t be enough, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01046-9">our latest research</a> shows.</p>
<p>The idea of jetliners running solely on fuel made from used cooking oil from restaurants or corn stalks might seem futuristic, but it’s <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/first-cooking-oil-powered-military-transporter-aircraft">not that far away</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://earth.org/sustainable-aviation-fuel-companies/">Airlines are</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airbus-a380-saf-cooking-oil-scn/index.html">already experimenting</a> with sustainable aviation fuels, including biofuels made from agriculture residues, trees, corn and used cooking oil, and synthetic fuels made with captured carbon and green hydrogen. </p>
<p>United Airlines, which has been <a href="https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/company/responsibility/sustainable-aviation-fuel.html">using a blend</a> of used oil or waste fat and fossil fuels on some flights from Los Angeles and Amsterdam, recently <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-tallgrass-and-green-plains-form-joint-venture-to-develop-new-sustainable-aviation-fuel-technology-using-ethanol-301734695.html">announced plans</a> to power 50,000 flights a year between its Chicago and Denver hubs using ethanol-based sustainable aviation fuels by 2028. The airline also <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-rallies-businesses-and-consumers-with-new-first-of-its-kind-100-million-sustainable-flight-fund-301751293.html">launched a US$100 million fund</a> on Feb. 21, 2023, with Air Canada, Boeing, GE Aerospace, JPMorgan Chase and Honeywell to invest in sustainable aviation fuel startups to expand the industry.</p>
<p>In a new study, we examined different options for aviation to reach net-zero emissions. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01046-9">bottom line</a>: Replacing fossil jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuels will be crucial, but the industry will still need to invest in <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-machines-scrub-greenhouse-gases-from-the-air-an-inventor-of-direct-air-capture-technology-shows-how-it-works-172306">direct-air carbon capture and storage</a> to offset emissions that can’t be cut. Each pathway has important trade-offs and hurdles. </p>
<h2>Scenarios for the future</h2>
<p>Before the pandemic, in 2019, aviation accounted for <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/aviation">about 3.1%</a> of total global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and the number of passenger miles traveled each year was rising. If aviation emissions were a country, that would make it the sixth-largest emitter, closely following Japan.</p>
<p>In addition to releasing carbon emissions, burning jet fuel produces soot and water vapor, known as contrails, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117834">that contribute to warming</a>, and these are not avoided by switching to sustainable aviation fuels.</p>
<p><iframe id="JtSL9" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/JtSL9/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Aviation is also one of the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy. Small electric and hydrogen-powered planes are being developed, but long-haul flights with lots of passengers are likely <a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-planes-are-coming-short-hop-regional-flights-could-be-running-on-batteries-in-a-few-years-190098">decades away.
</a></p>
<p>We developed and analyzed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01046-9">nine scenarios</a> spanning a range of projected passenger and freight demand, energy intensity and carbon intensity of aviation to explore how the industry might get to net-zero emissions by 2050.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Nine sets of bar charts" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508209/original/file-20230205-19-9oydno.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nine scenarios illustrate how much carbon offsets would be required to reach net-zero emissions, depending on choices made about demand and energy and carbon intensity. Each starts with 2021’s emissions (1.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent). With rising demand and no improvement in carbon intensity, a large amount of carbon capture will be necessary. Less fossil fuel use and slower demand growth reduce offset needs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01046-9">Candelaria Bergero</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found that as much as 19.8 exajoules of sustainable aviation fuels could be needed for the entire sector to reach net-zero CO₂ emissions. With other efficiency improvements, that could be reduced to as little as 3 exajoules. To put that into context, 3 exajoules is almost equivalent to all <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/global-biofuel-production-in-2019-and-forecast-to-2025">biofuels produced in 2019</a> and far surpasses the 0.005 exajoules of <a href="https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/Jul/IRENA_Reaching_Zero_Biojet_Fuels_2021.pdf">bio-based jet fuel produced in 2019</a>. An exajoule is a measure of energy.</p>
<p>Flying less and improving airplanes’ energy efficiency, such as using <a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-adds-fuel-saving-arrival-routes-11-airports">more efficient “glide” landings</a> that allow airlines to approach the airport with engines at near idle, can help reduce the amount of fuel needed. But even in our rosiest scenarios – where demand grows at 1% per year, compared to the historical average of 4% per year, and energy efficiency improves by 4% per year rather than 1% – aviation would still need about 3 exajoules of sustainable aviation fuels.</p>
<h2>Why offsets are still necessary</h2>
<p>A rapid expansion in biofuel sustainable aviation fuels is easier said than done. It could require as much as 1.2 million square miles (300 million hectares) of dedicated land to grow crops to turn into fuel – roughly 19% of global cropland today.</p>
<p>Another challenge is cost. The <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/">global average price of fossil jet fuel</a> is about about US$3 per gallon ($0.80 per liter), while the cost to produce bio-based jet fuels is often twice as much. The cheapest, <a href="https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/Jul/IRENA_Reaching_Zero_Biojet_Fuels_2021.pdf">HEFA</a>, which uses fats, oils and greases, ranges in cost from $2.95 to $8.67 per gallon ($0.78 to $2.29 per liter), but it depends on the availability of waste oil.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/Jul/IRENA_Reaching_Zero_Biojet_Fuels_2021.pdf">Fischer-Tropsch biofuels</a>, produced by a chemical reaction that converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons, range from $3.79 to $8.71 per gallon ($1 to $2.30 per liter). And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00665">synthetic fuels</a> are from $4.92 to $17.79 per gallon ($1.30 to $4.70 per liter).</p>
<p><iframe id="ekKHi" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ekKHi/16/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Realistically, reaching net-zero emissions will likely also rely on carbon dioxide removal.</p>
<p>In a future with similar airline use as today, as much as 3.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide would have to be <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture">captured from the air and locked away</a> – pumped underground, for example – for aviation to reach net-zero. That could cost trillions of dollars.</p>
<p>For these offsets to be effective, the carbon removal would also have to follow a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0415-y">robust eligibility criteria</a> and be effectively permanent. This is <a href="https://carbonmarketwatch.org/flights-of-fancy/">not happening</a> today in airline offsetting programs, where airlines are mostly buying cheap, nonpermanent offsets, such as those involving <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/11/23398780/european-airlines-mislead-customers-carbon-offset-credits-climate-change">forest conservation and management projects</a>.</p>
<p>Some caveats apply to our findings, which could increase the need for offsets even more. </p>
<p>Our assessment assumes sustainable aviation fuels to be net-zero carbon emissions. However, the feedstocks for these fuels <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2021.12.013">currently have life-cycle emissions</a>, including from fertilizer, farming and transportation. The American Society for Testing Materials also currently has a maximum <a href="https://www.iata.org/contentassets/d13875e9ed784f75bac90f000760e998/saf-technical-certifications.pdf">blend limit: up to 50%</a> sustainable fuels can be blended into conventional jet fuel for aviation in the U.S., though airlines have been testing <a href="https://www.atr-aircraft.com/presspost/first-flight-in-history-with-100-sustainable-aviation-fuel-on-a-regional-commercial-aircraft/">100% blends in Europe</a>. </p>
<h2>How to overcome the final hurdles</h2>
<p>To meet the <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement">climate goals</a> the world has set, emissions in all sectors must decrease – including aviation.</p>
<p>While reductions in demand would help reduce reliance on sustainable aviation fuels, it’s more likely that more and more people will fly in the future, as more people become wealthier. Efficiency improvements will help decrease the amount of energy needed to power aviation, but it won’t eliminate it.</p>
<p>Scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production could decrease its costs. <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2022-releases/2022-06-21-02/">Quotas</a>, such as those introduced in the <a href="https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/light/topics/fit-55-and-refueleu-aviation">European Union’s “Fit for 55”</a> plan, subsidies and <a href="https://www.thirdway.org/blog/sustainable-aviation-taking-off-thanks-to-inflation-reduction-act">tax credits</a>, like those in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022, and a carbon tax or other price on carbon, can all help achieve this.</p>
<p>Additionally, given the role that capturing carbon from the atmosphere will play in achieving net-zero emissions, a more robust accounting system is needed internationally to ensure that the offsets are compensating for aviation’s non-CO₂ impacts. If these hurdles are overcome, the aviation sector could achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.</p>
<p><em>This updates an <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-flight-in-a-net-zero-carbon-world-9-scenarios-lots-of-sustainable-biofuel-199062">article originally published</a> Feb. 6, 2023, to include United Airlines’ investment fund announcement.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199062/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Candelaria Bergero's research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven J. Davis's research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture.</span></em></p>Airlines are investing in sustainable biofuel startups and starting to uses alternative fuels, including cooking oil, ag waste and corn ethanol. But biofuels alone won’t be enough, research shows.Candelaria Bergero, Ph.D. Student in Earth System Science, University of California, IrvineSteve Davis, Professor of Earth System Science, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1986722023-02-05T19:01:22Z2023-02-05T19:01:22ZWhat’s the safest seat on a plane? We asked an aviation expert<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507484/original/file-20230201-21-qbpzqq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C44%2C2977%2C1949&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When booking a flight, do you ever think about which seat will protect you the most in an emergency? Probably not. </p>
<p>Most people book seats for comfort, such as leg room, or convenience, such as easy access to toilets. Frequent flyers (this author included) might book their seat as close as possible to the front so they can disembark more quickly.</p>
<p>We rarely book a flight with hopes of getting one of the middle seats in the last row. Well, guess what? These seats are statistically <a href="https://time.com/3934663/safest-seat-airplane/">the safest ones on an airplane</a>.</p>
<h2>Air travel is safe</h2>
<p>Before we get into it, I should reiterate that air travel is the <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/how-safe-is-flying-heres-what-the-statistics-say/knzczab06">safest mode of transport</a>. In 2019, there were just under <a href="https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flightradar24s-2019-by-the-numbers/">70 million</a> flights globally, with only <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2020/01/02/aviation-safety-in-2019-fewer-deaths-but-more-fatal-accidents/?sh=58d372f74ceb">287 fatalities</a>. </p>
<p>According to the US National Safety Council’s analysis of census data, the odds of <a href="https://time.com/3934663/safest-seat-airplane/">dying in a plane</a> are about 1 in 205,552, compared with 1 in 102 in a car. Even so, we pay little attention to fatal road accidents, but when we hear about an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/15/nepal-plane-crash-with-72-onboard-leaves-at-least-16-dead">ATR72 crashing in Nepal</a> it’s the lead story on every news page.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/qantas-flight-mayday-can-a-plane-normally-fly-on-just-one-engine-an-aviation-expert-explains-198142">Qantas flight mayday: can a plane normally fly on just one engine? An aviation expert explains</a>
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<p>Our interest in plane crashes might lie in wanting to understand why they happen, or what the odds are of them happening again. And perhaps it’s not a bad thing; our concern ensures these tragic incidents are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crashes-nepal-singapore-kathmandu-accidents-3b26342109872610d922f515fe94455b">thoroughly investigated</a>, which helps keep air travel safe.</p>
<p>Frankly speaking, there is no real need to worry about safety when you board a commercial flight. But if you’ve still got that nagging question in your head, driven by sheer curiosity, read on.</p>
<h2>In the middle, at the back</h2>
<p>It’s worth remembering accidents by their very nature do not conform to standards. In the 1989 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-Airlines-Flight-232">United Flight 232</a> crash in Sioux City, Iowa, 184 of the 269 people onboard survived the accident. Most of the survivors were sitting behind first class, towards the front of the plane.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, a <a href="https://time.com/3934663/safest-seat-airplane/">TIME investigation</a> that looked at 35 years of aircraft accident data found the middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared with 44% for the middle aisle seats.</p>
<p>This logically makes sense too. Sitting next to an exit row will always provide you with the fastest exit in the case of an emergency, granted there’s no fire on that side. But the wings of a plane store fuel, so this disqualifies the middle exit rows <a href="https://www.rd.com/list/flight-safety/">as the safest row option</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, being closer to the front means you’ll be impacted before those in the back, which leaves us with the last exit row. As for why the middle seats are safer than the window or aisle seats, that is, as you might expect, because of the buffer provided by having people on either side.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A front view of the wing of a commercial plane." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507486/original/file-20230201-24-8p3bpc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The wings of commercial planes store fuel, which can make this area slightly more hazardous in the very unlikely event of an emergency.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Some emergencies are worse than others</h2>
<p>The type of emergency will also dictate survivability. Running into a mountain will decrease chances of survival exponentially, as was the case in a tragic 1979 disaster in New Zealand. Air New Zealand Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/erebus-disaster">in Antarctica</a>, killing 257 passengers and crew.</p>
<p>Landing in the ocean nose-first also decreases chances of survival, as witnessed with the 2009 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/10/air-france-flight-af477-2009-crash-trial-airbus">Air France Flight 447</a>, in which 228 passengers and crew perished. </p>
<p>Pilots are trained to minimise potential risk in an emergency event as best as they can. They will try to avoid hitting mountains and look for a level place, such as an open field, to land as normally as possible. The technique for <a href="https://www.aviationsafetymagazine.com/features/the-myths-of-ditching/">landing in water</a> requires assessing the surface conditions and attempting to land between waves at a normal landing angle.</p>
<p>Aircraft are designed to be very robust in emergency situations. In fact, the main reason the cabin crew remind us to keep our seat belts fastened is not because of crash risk, but because of “<a href="https://www.skybrary.aero/articles/clear-air-turbulence-cat">clear air turbulence</a>” that can be experienced at any time at high altitudes. It is this weather phenomenon that can cause the most damage to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-12-20/turbulence-persists-as-a-major-cause-of-injuries-on-flights">passengers and aircraft</a>. </p>
<p>Manufacturers are designing new planes with more composite materials capable of handing in-flight stress. In these designs, the wings are not rigid and can flex to absorb <a href="https://www.wired.com/2010/03/boeing-787-passes-incredible-wing-flex-test/">extreme loading</a> to prevent structural failure. </p>
<h2>Does the type of plane make a difference?</h2>
<p>Granted, there are certain variables, such as impact from airspeed, that can vary slightly between different airplane types. However, the <a href="https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/dynamicsofflight.html">physics of flight</a> is more or less the same in all planes.</p>
<p>Generally, larger planes will have more structural material and therefore more strength to withstand pressurisation at altitude. This means they may provide some additional protection in an emergency – but this, again, is highly dependent on the severity of the emergency.</p>
<p>That’s not to say you should book your next flight on the largest plane you can find. As I’ve mentioned, air travel remains very safe. So I’d suggest thinking about what movie you’ll watch instead, and hoping they don’t run out of chicken and only have the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/19/6-airplane-foods-you-should-avoid-according-to-food-safety-experts.html">shrimp</a> left!</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jetlag-hits-differently-depending-on-your-travel-direction-here-are-6-tips-to-get-over-it-196730">Jetlag hits differently depending on your travel direction. Here are 6 tips to get over it</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198672/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The bottom line is air travel is very safe – much safer than road travel. But that doesn’t stop us from wondering…Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1974612023-01-31T06:13:04Z2023-01-31T06:13:04ZX-57: Nasa’s electric plane is preparing to fly – here’s how it advances emissions–free aviation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503634/original/file-20230109-8020-zm1u8q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C38%2C3125%2C2431&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nasa</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The experimental airplane X-57, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X57/">developed by Nasa</a>, is due to fly for the first time this year. It has an impressive 14 propellers along its wings and is powered entirely by electricity. This sounds great considering we have to get off fossil fuels yet our demand for aviation is growing. But how much closer will Nasa’s plane bring us to this goal?</p>
<p>Finding an alternative to aviation fuels such as kerosene will be key if we want to continue flying. The X-57 uses <a href="https://www.power-technology.com/features/what-are-lithium-batteries-made-of/">lithium batteries</a> to run electric motors for its propellers. But the energy you get from batteries, relative to their weight, is 50 times less than you can get from aviation fuel. </p>
<p>The X-57 is a modified, four-seater, Italian-built <a href="https://www.tecnam.com/aircraft/p2006t/">Tecnam P2006T aircraft</a>. It relies on a combination of lots of propellers, small motors and many batteries spread out across an aircraft, known as <a href="https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/distributed-propulsion-%27maybe-the-only-means%27-for-small-electric-flight-progress">“distributed propulsion”</a>. This approach represents an exciting area of research and development that can be found in many experimental electric aircraft designs.</p>
<p>What’s different about the X-57 is that the wings are completely redesigned with propellers positioned to optimise air flow around them. When a propeller is not needed, its blades can be folded back to reduce drag. </p>
<p>Propeller technology generally is having a rebirth. Designs are becoming not just <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343622295_Aircraft_Propellers-Is_There_a_Future">more efficient</a>, but also less noisy and more affordable. The speed and pitch angle of propellers can even be changed during flight to adapt to the different aircraft speeds required for takeoff, landing and cruising. </p>
<p>Air density changes with altitude and affects the thrust you get from a propeller. Now that we can make propellers that work effectively at all altitudes and speeds, we can really get the most out of the energy stored in the batteries. New designs, such as the first ever 11-bladed <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2022-12-19/mt-flight-tests-11-blade-propeller">propeller (on the Piper Cheyenne plane</a>), can achieve very high thrust even at high air density.</p>
<p>Some aircraft even use “vectored thrust” by allowing the motors and propellers to rotate, which gives <a href="https://theconversation.com/flying-cars-could-cut-emissions-replace-planes-and-free-up-roads-but-not-soon-enough-115123">the option of vertical takeoff</a> and landing. These aircraft might more resemble helicopters than planes, and might mean conventional airports with long runways and large terminals will be a thing of the past. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="X-57 being tested in 2019." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505186/original/file-20230118-20-afa9il.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">X-57 being tested in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center TV / Steve Parcel</span></span>
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<h2>Battery technology</h2>
<p>The X-57 uses off-the-shelf lithium-ion batteries. This is because the project is primarily addressing the potential for new propeller and wing configurations rather than developing the perfect battery. </p>
<p>But that will be an important challenge for electric aircraft developers to overcome. Lithium batteries are pretty much the best we’ve got so far, but they are still heavy. Lithium metal is also hazardous as it catches fire easily. </p>
<p>There are advantages with using batteries. Their weight stays constant throughout the flight, meaning they don’t need to be stored in the wings as aviation fuel traditionally has been. With liquid fuel, the weight of the plane reduces significantly as fuel is consumed and keeping the fuel in the wings ensures that the balance of the aircraft isn’t changed. </p>
<p>However, it is really <a href="https://dragonflyenergy.com/why-does-energy-density-matter-in-batteries">energy density</a> – the amount of energy a battery contains compared to its weight or size – that matters. New advances are being made constantly, such as batteries created based on quantum technology. But while these <a href="https://physicsworld.com/a/quantum-battery-could-get-a-boost-from-entanglement/">charge faster than normal batteries</a> they won’t replace lithium batteries and are unlikely to transform the prospects for electrically powered flight. </p>
<p>What we’re really waiting for is a revolution in battery technology, one that gives an energy density comparable to aviation fuel.</p>
<h2>Is X-57 the future?</h2>
<p>With a range of about 160km and a flight time of about one hour, the X-57 is not expected to lead to a replacement technology for long-haul flying. At least not straight away. Instead, short-hop flights with ten or so passengers are a good and potentially possible target for early, battery-powered flights. </p>
<p>Hydrogen-powered planes are also of great interest because the energy density of hydrogen is nearly three times greater that that of conventional aviation fuel. But hydrogen is a gas and it needs to be stored in pressurised fuel tanks to reduce its volume. </p>
<p>This would require a complete rethink of aircraft design. Some work has been done with hydrogen stored as a liquid at -253°C. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220316-the-epic-attempts-to-power-planes-with-hydrogen">Hydrogen for aviation</a> is therefore exciting, but probably impractical.</p>
<p>Synthetic fuels are ready to go as a substitute for aviation fuels – at a price. Perhaps as technologies develop, they’ll become cheaper, but it’s still likely that the cost of flying will increase as we move away from fossil fuels. Batteries will almost certainly be powering our short-haul flights in the near future and if there is a revolution in battery technology then the future of aviation will be completely changed.</p>
<p>Eventually, we will be faced with an ultimatum: either we figure out how to make planes that don’t need fossil fuels, or we stop flying.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hugh Hunt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Batteries could well be powering short-haul flights in the near future.Hugh Hunt, Professor of Engineering Dynamics and Vibration, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1981422023-01-19T00:05:41Z2023-01-19T00:05:41ZQantas flight mayday: can a plane normally fly on just one engine? An aviation expert explains<p>You may have seen the news Qantas flight 144 from Auckland landed safely in Sydney yesterday after the pilot was forced to shut down an engine and issue a mayday call while flying over the Pacific Ocean.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heard-a-bang-investigation-launched-into-qantas-flight-that-sparked-mayday-call/wpyvcthe6">The plane was reportedly</a> a ten-year-old, twin-jet Boeing 737 and was carrying 145 passengers, all of whom disembarked normally after landing yesterday afternoon. </p>
<p>These events do, unfortunately, happen occasionally in aviation – I myself have lost an engine while flying – but the good news is it’s extremely rare. That makes aviation the safest form of transport in the world.</p>
<p>These are highly trained pilots who spend a lot of time in full-motion simulators going over events exactly like this.</p>
<p>When you’re down an engine and you have lot of water under you, you have a process to follow.</p>
<p>It becomes rote; you don’t panic, you don’t go off the rails, you remember your training, and that’s what happened here.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-the-real-reason-to-turn-on-aeroplane-mode-when-you-fly-188585">Here's the real reason to turn on aeroplane mode when you fly</a>
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<h2>Can planes fly on just one engine?</h2>
<p>Absolutely. That is what they are designed to do. </p>
<p>By law, planes have to be able to fly from point A to point B, over water, on just one engine. The <a href="https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-08/caap-82-1-extended-diversion-time-operations.pdf">guidance set by safety regulators</a> in Australia mandates that any plane that takes off with the intention of getting to a certain destination has to be able to get there on one engine – based on the departure loads determined before takeoff. </p>
<p>That rule ensures that even if one engine goes down – as appears to have happened here – the plane can still arrive safely. It can fly until it runs out of fuel. Basically, these planes are built to fly as well on one engine as they can on two. </p>
<p>Having just one engine operating means you won’t have the maximum thrust power for take off, but you’d be able to fly and land just fine.</p>
<p>But while a plane can fly on one engine, it is very rare for an engine to go down in the middle of a flight.</p>
<p>Airline maintenance procedures are meticulous and technicians are licensed at the same level and quality as pilots. Typically you have someone do the maintenance on a plane on the ground, but they have someone come after them and inspect it and test it to make sure it is operating at 100% performance. </p>
<p>There are ground tests and flight tests and certification processes that need to be followed before a plane can take passengers. That’s why these events are so unusual.</p>
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<h2>A bang and air-con shutdown</h2>
<p>Passengers <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heard-a-bang-investigation-launched-into-qantas-flight-that-sparked-mayday-call/wpyvcthe6">said they heard</a> a bang during the Qantas flight yesterday.</p>
<p>Details on what exactly happened are yet to emerge, but it’s certainly possible for engine failure to make a sound. It depends on the type of failure. If it was a section within the engine breaking, that could make a noise loud enough for passengers to hear it.</p>
<p>But normally if the pilot needed to isolate the engine and could see pressure fluctuation or engine temperature exceeding normal levels, then the pilot could choose to shut it down even before they heard a bang.</p>
<p>Reports the plane’s air conditioning subsequently stopped working suggests to me the crew probably had to turn off some systems to achieve their goal of landing successfully back in Sydney.</p>
<h2>Anatomy of a crisis</h2>
<p>When an event like this happens, pilots have a process for scanning their instrumentation to isolate and figure out what’s happening. </p>
<p>Once they do, we have what’s known as a <a href="https://www.skybrary.aero/articles/quick-reference-handbook-qrh">Quick Reference Handbook</a> to consult. It lists all the potential emergency situations that might happen on a plane. The pilots then follow that handbook to analyse each step and each possibility, which helps isolate and solve the problem.</p>
<p>In this case, it appears the solution was to shut that engine down.</p>
<p>For the sake of precaution, aviators announce a mayday call when we have a situation we think means we need priority help. The mayday call clears out the airspace to permit this plane to be number one in the queue for priority; all other aircraft have to get out of the way. </p>
<p>The air traffic controllers put everyone else in the air in a holding pattern or give them a big turn to keep them out of the area.</p>
<p>However, sometime after the pilot on QF144 issued a mayday call, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heard-a-bang-investigation-launched-into-qantas-flight-that-sparked-mayday-call/wpyvcthe6">it was downgraded</a> to what’s known as a PAN – that stands for Possible Assistance Needed. </p>
<p>A PAN is a less extreme event; it still signals it is an emergency, and meant yesterday there were emergency vehicles on the runway and the plane retained its priority status in the queue. But it is not quite as serious as a mayday.</p>
<p>From here, a very thorough review will help shed light on what happened. The pilots typically go through drug and alcohol testing and there will be a full investigation to ensure nothing was missed and help Qantas return to normal operations.</p>
<h2>Remembering your training</h2>
<p>I wasn’t there on the flight deck yesterday and can only infer from what I have heard and read that the pilots on this plane did exactly what they are trained to do.</p>
<p>Airlines spend a lot of money on training so pilots and crew can handle events like this. </p>
<p>As we begin the conversation toward single pilot planes and autonomous aircraft, it’s worth asking how AI and autonomous systems might respond to circumstances that are not normal events.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-your-body-on-a-long-haul-flight-183034">What happens to your body on a long-haul flight?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198142/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When you’re down an engine and you have lot of water under you, you have a process to follow. You don’t panic, you don’t go off the rails, you remember your training, and that’s what happened here.Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1979012023-01-16T05:52:30Z2023-01-16T05:52:30ZWhy does Nepal’s aviation industry have safety issues? An expert explains<p>A Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 aircraft <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/world/asia/plane-crash-nepal.html">crashed in Pokhara</a> in central Nepal on January 15 2023, killing at least 68 passengers on board. The aircraft was en route from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu to Pokhara, the country’s second largest city, situated under the picturesque Annapurna mountain range.</p>
<p>While the picturesque landscape of the country appeals to tourists, it poses significant challenges to aviation operators, who need to embrace and navigate the challenging environment.</p>
<p>The air crash on Sunday was Nepal’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/15/nepal-plane-crash-with-72-onboard-leaves-at-least-16-dead">worst aviation disaster since 1992</a>. The country has been working to overcome its challenges in aviation.</p>
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<h2>A challenging landscape</h2>
<p>Topography has gifted Nepal with picturesque landscapes, but posits <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/nepal-plane-crash-why-aviation-incidents-tourist-hotspot-2085215">unrivalled challenges to flight operations</a>.</p>
<p>Nepal, situated between India and China, is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest or Sagarmāthā. For flight operations, it’s an almost unrivalled, harsh environment with sudden weather changes that can make for hazardous conditions.</p>
<p>Airports built in mountainous regions often need to have shorter runways that can only accommodate turboprop-powered regional aircraft, rather than large jet airliners that can access larger cities in Nepal.</p>
<p>As a result, aviation carriers in Nepal have a variety of aircraft on their fleets. These craft vary in condition, presenting potential safety hazards.</p>
<p>The ATR 72 aircraft is one typical aircraft used by Nepali carriers. It is a turboprop-powered regional aircraft with a capacity between 44 and 78 passengers. These aircraft are manufactured by a joint venture of Airbus in France and Leonardo in Italy.</p>
<p>The aircraft involved in this crash had been in service for 15 years, a fairly typical age for an aircraft.</p>
<p>The final report on what happened to the tragic Yeti Airlines flight <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-16/what-caused-nepal-plane-crash-pokhara-footage-from-witnesses/101858104">will take over a month to complete</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A picturesque landscape of snow capped jagged mountains seen from a distance, with a blue sky dappled with clouds" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504593/original/file-20230116-16-1r6yov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The Annapurna mountain range, as seen from Pokhara.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shishir Gautam/Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>A growing and fast-changing industry</h2>
<p>Nepal has welcomed <a href="https://www.newbusinessage.com/MagazineArticles/view/3419">private investment</a> into its aviation sector since 1992. Yeti Airlines is one of 20 domestic carriers. The airline, headquartered in Kathmandu, flies to ten domestic destinations using ATR 72-500 aircraft. In addition, <a href="https://caanepal.gov.np/air-transport/airlines">29 international airlines operate into Nepal’s capital</a> too.</p>
<p>With air travel in Nepal becoming more accessible and affordable, airport infrastructure development has remained far behind compared to the growth of air traffic. This has resulted in increasing congestion at airports, fare competition between airlines, and decreased safety records.</p>
<p>In fact, the country <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/search-resumes-four-people-missing-nepal-after-deadly-air-crash-2023-01-16/">has recorded at least 350 casualties</a> associated with aeroplanes or helicopters since 2000, which has raised questions about the effectiveness of its aviation safety regulations.</p>
<p>The aviation regulator in charge is <a href="https://caanepal.gov.np/about-caan">the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal</a>, a government agency established in 1998.</p>
<h2>Working hard to improve</h2>
<p>Nepal became a member of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 1960. This membership obliges the country to abide by international conventions, ICAO’s regulations, standards, and recommended practices in aviation safety.</p>
<p>While Nepal’s aviation industry has made significant efforts to improve safety, unfortunately the safety record still doesn’t match up with the requirements of other civil aviation authorities.</p>
<p>In particular, the European Union banned all Nepali airlines from operating in the bloc’s airspace <a href="https://nepalindata.com/ne/EU-ban-on-Nepali-airlines-continues-despite-ICAO-green-signal/">in 2013 after ICAO raised a red flag</a>. That ban still hasn’t been lifted, and Nepal remains on the <a href="https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/eu-air-safety-list_en">EU Air Safety List</a>.</p>
<p>Despite the tragic casualty record, Nepal has stepped up its efforts to improve aviation safety. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has been focusing on improving safety in Nepali aviation – such as <a href="https://caanepal.gov.np/storage/app/media/uploaded-files/atcep-4th-qpr.pdf">building improvements at airports</a>, upgrading safety equipment, and fostering a positive safety culture by encouraging hazard reporting.</p>
<p>Nepal’s considerable improvement in safety measures and compliance with international standards <a href="https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/Nepals-heightened-ICAO-compliance-results-in-Council-President-Certificate.aspx">was recognised by ICAO in 2018</a>. However, the country must <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/08/will-reform-of-nepals-civil-aviation-authority-ever-take-off/">continue work on its aviation reform</a> to make its skies safe for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chrystal Zhang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A tragic plane crash has claimed at least 68 lives in Nepal – the latest in a string of aviation disasters in a country grappling with improving the safety of its flight industry.Chrystal Zhang, Associate professor, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1977542023-01-12T21:13:47Z2023-01-12T21:13:47ZWhat is the FAA’s NOTAM? An aviation expert explains how the critical safety system works<p><em>Late in the evening of Jan. 10, 2023, an important digital system known as NOTAM run by the Federal Aviation Administration <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/11/1148340708/faa-notam-ground-stop-flight-delay">went offline</a>. The FAA was able to continue getting necessary information to pilots overnight using a phone-based backup, but the stopgap couldn’t keep up with the morning rush of flights, and on Jan. 11, 2022, the FAA grounded all commercial flights in the U.S. In total, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/11/1148340708/faa-notam-ground-stop-flight-delay">nearly 7,000 flights</a> were canceled. <a href="https://aviation.osu.edu/people/strzempkowski.1">Brian Strzempkowksi</a> is the interim director of the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University and a commercial pilot, flight instructor and dispatcher. He explains what the NOTAM system is and why planes can’t fly if the system goes down.</em></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A number of planes line up for takeoff on a runway." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=200&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504319/original/file-20230112-60827-1gx11f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pilots must check the NOTAM system before takeoff so that they know about any situations that may affect safety.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:6_planes_in_one_photo!_United_Airlines_Boeing_787,_747,_777,_WOW_Airbus_A330_takeoff,_SWA_737,_United_CRJ_landing_SFO_runway_28_L_and_R_(30480576501).jpg#/media/File:6_planes_in_one_photo!_United_Airlines_Boeing_787,_747,_777,_WOW_Airbus_A330_takeoff,_SWA_737,_United_CRJ_landing_SFO_runway_28_L_and_R_(30480576501).jpg">Bill Abbott/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is NOTAM?</h2>
<p>Aviation is full of acronyms, and Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, is one acronym that pilots learn early on in their training. A NOTAM is quite simply a message that is disseminated to flight crews of every aircraft in the U.S.</p>
<p>The NOTAM system is a computer network run by the Federal Aviation Administration that provides real-time updates to crews about situations relating to weather, infrastructure, ground conditions or anything else that may <a href="https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/03_phak_ch1.pdf">affect the safety of flight</a>. Trained professionals – like air traffic controllers, airport managers, airport operations personnel and FAA personnel in charge of national airspace infrastructure – can access the system and enter any information they need to share broadly.</p>
<p>Pilots, air traffic controllers and anyone else who needs to know about flying conditions can access the NOTAM system and make appropriate changes to planned flights. It’s similar to checking the traffic on your phone or on the local news before you head to work in the morning. A traffic report will inform you of potential hazards or backups on the roadways that may lead you take a different route to work.</p>
<h2>What’s in the NOTAM system and how is it used?</h2>
<p>NOTAMs are issued for a wide range of reasons. Some of the notices are good to know but don’t affect a flight – such as personnel mowing grass alongside a runway or a crane working on a building next to the airport. Others are more critical, such as a runway being closed because of snow, ice or damage, forcing a plane to take off or land on a different runway. Changes in access to airspace are also logged with a NOTAM. For example, airspace is always closed above the president and when he or she travels; a NOTAM will alert pilots to changes in airspace closures.</p>
<p>Pilots <a href="https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/PilotWeb/">review these NOTAMs</a> during their preflight briefings. Generally this is done digitally using a computer, but pilots and air traffic controllers can also access the system by calling flight service briefers, who can share <a href="https://www.1800wxbrief.com/Website/home;jsessionid=624B2EEA87E48B2E1DF67CB0B791E054?desktop=true#!/phone-numbers-quick-steps">live weather and NOTAM information</a>. Airline pilots also rely on their dispatchers to relay any relevant NOTAMs not only before but also during the flight. </p>
<p>The NOTAMs themselves use a lot of abbreviations and are often cryptic to nonaviation folks, but a small amount of text <a href="https://www.notams.faa.gov/downloads/contractions.pdf">can carry a lot of information</a>. Hundreds of different acronyms can convey a range of information, from taxiway closures to certain types of airport lighting being out of service to a notice that some pavement markings may be obscured.</p>
<p>But not all NOTAMs are straightforward. I remember once seeing a notice from an airport alerting pilots that a fire department was conducting a controlled burn of a house nearby.</p>
<h2>Why can’t you fly if the NOTAM system is down?</h2>
<p>The Federal Aviation Authority requires flight crews to <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFRe4c59b5f5506932/section-91.103">review NOTAMs before every flight</a> for safety reasons. Without access to this information, a plane cannot legally depart, because there may be an unknown hazard ahead. </p>
<p>As an example, a pilot departing Seattle to fly to Miami would need to know that the Miami airport is open, that the runways are clear and that all the navigational sources – like GPS signals and ground-based navigation antennas – that a pilot may use while in the air are working. Theoretically, they could call the Miami airport and ask, and then call the person who oversees every navigational aid on their route, but that would take a lot of time. A much more efficient way to gather this information before and during a flight is to use the NOTAM system. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, the NOTAM system is about safety. When the system is down, pilots can’t fly as safely. It is for good reason that planes don’t go anywhere unless the NOTAM system is up and running.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197754/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Strzempkowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Notices to Air Mission system failed on Jan. 10, 2023, leading to thousands of canceled flights. The system is where all important safety information for pilots and dispatchers gets posted.Brian Strzempkowski, Interim Director, Center for Aviation Studies, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1830342023-01-04T19:22:03Z2023-01-04T19:22:03ZWhat happens to your body on a long-haul flight?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466912/original/file-20220603-12-qlkzez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=442%2C0%2C4566%2C2046&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/passengers-wearing-protective-medical-masks-during-1721222605">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If crowded airports are a sign, Australians are keen to get back into the skies. And if you’re flying long haul, in a few years you could have an even longer option.</p>
<p>Qantas <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2022/05/video-inside-qantas-project-sunrise-a350-1000s/">has announced</a> from <a href="https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-announces-project-sunrise-aircraft-order-for-non-stop-flights-to-australia/">late 2025</a>, it will fly passengers on non-stop flights from Australia’s east coast to London that would see you in the air for more than 19 hours in one stretch. That’s compared with current flights that take the best part of 24 hours but are broken up into shorter legs.</p>
<p>So what will happen to your body during one of these longer flights? Is it any different to what happens when you fly long-haul now?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-for-the-long-haul-the-challenge-to-fly-non-stop-from-australia-to-anywhere-in-the-world-85981">In for the long-haul: the challenge to fly non-stop from Australia to anywhere in the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. You can become dehydrated</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551461/">Dehydration</a> is common on long-haul flights. It can explain why your throat, nose and skin can feel dry on an aeroplane. The longer the flight, the greater the risk of dehydration.</p>
<p>That’s because of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207472/">low levels of humidity</a> in the cabin compared with what you’d expect on the ground. This is mostly because a lot of the air circulating through the cabin is drawn from the outside, and there’s not a lot of moisture in the air at high altitudes.</p>
<p>You also risk dehydration by not drinking enough water, or drinking too much alcohol (alcohol is a diuretic, resulting in an increase in fluid lost).</p>
<p>So drink water before you jump on the plane. During the flight, you’ll also need to drink more water than you usually would.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Air steward picking up bottle of water from drinks trolley on plane" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490580/original/file-20221019-15-atspyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Make sure you drink enough water before and during the flight. But avoid drinking too much alcohol.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stewardess-take-water-bottle-trolley-cart-1992757658">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-how-do-i-tell-if-im-dehydrated-107437">Health Check: how do I tell if I'm dehydrated?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. The cabin can play havoc with your ears, sinuses, gut and sleep</h2>
<p>As the cabin pressure changes, the gas in our bodies reacts accordingly. It expands as the aircraft climbs and pressure decreases, and the opposite occurs as we descend. This can lead to common problems such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17929-airplane-ear">earaches</a> – when the air pressure either side of your eardrum is different, placing pressure on the eardrum</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s10194-017-0788-0">headaches</a> – can be caused by expanding air trapped in your sinuses</p></li>
<li><p>gut problems – just accept that you’re going to fart more.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>You can also feel more sleepy than usual. That’s due to the body not being able to absorb as much oxygen from the cabin air at altitude than it would on the ground. Slowing down is the body’s way of protecting itself, and this can make you feel sleepy.</p>
<p>The good news is that most of these problems won’t necessarily be more pronounced on longer flights. They’re mainly an issue as the plane climbs and descends.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-happens-when-you-hold-in-a-fart-98310">Health Check: what happens when you hold in a fart?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. You could develop blood clots</h2>
<p>Blood clots, associated with being immobile for long periods, are usually a big concern for passengers. These include clots that form in the leg (<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-deep-vein-thrombosis-11140">deep vein thrombosis</a> or DVT) that can travel to the lung (where it’s known as a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-embolism/symptoms-causes/syc-20354647">pulmonary embolism</a>).</p>
<p>If you don’t move around on the plane, and the more of the following <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.666315070819684">risk factors</a> you have, the greater the chance of blood clots developing:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>older age</p></li>
<li><p>obesity </p></li>
<li><p>previous history or a family history of clots </p></li>
<li><p>certain types of clotting disorders</p></li>
<li><p>cancer</p></li>
<li><p>recent immobilisation or surgery</p></li>
<li><p>pregnancy or recently given birth</p></li>
<li><p>hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptive pill.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>According to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9149067/">review</a> in 2022, combining data from 18 studies, the longer you travel, the greater the risk of blood clots. The authors calculated there was a 26% higher risk for every two hours of air travel, starting after four hours. </p>
<p>So what about the risk of clots on these longer flights? We won’t know for sure until we start studying passengers on them.</p>
<p>Until that evidence comes in, the current advice still applies. Keep moving, stay hydrated and limit alcohol consumption.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-deep-vein-thrombosis-11140">Explainer: what is deep vein thrombosis?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There’s also <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD004002/PVD_compression-stockings-preventing-deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt-airline-passengers">evidence</a> for wearing compression stockings to prevent blood clots. These stockings are said to promote blood flow in the legs and to help blood return to the heart. This would normally happen by muscle contractions from moving or walking.</p>
<p>A 2021 <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD004002/PVD_compression-stockings-preventing-deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt-airline-passengers">Cochrane review</a> combined the results of nine trials with 2,637 participants who were randomised to wear compression stockings (or not) on flights lasting more than five hours.</p>
<p>No participants developed symptomatic DVTs. But there was evidence people who wore the stockings considerably reduced their chance of developing clots without symptoms, and we know that any clot can potentially grow, move and subsequently, cause symptoms. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Person putting on compression stockings" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490582/original/file-20221019-26-5j0gnp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Compression stockings reduce your risk of developing a DVT, according to a review of the evidence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-puts-compression-stocking-on-her-1712032240">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So if you are concerned about your risk of developing blood clots, see your GP before you fly.</p>
<p>Usually if you do develop a blood clot, you won’t know about it until after the flight, as the clot takes time to form and travel. So keep an eye out for symptoms after the flight – pain and swelling in a leg (often just the one), chest pain, coughing and shortness of breath. And seek emergency health care if you do.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-clots-five-reasons-they-may-happen-157197">Blood clots: five reasons they may happen</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Then there’s jet lag, radiation, COVID</h2>
<p>Then there’s <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jet-lag/symptoms-causes/syc-20374027#:%7E:text=Drink%20plenty%20of%20water%20before,it's%20nighttime%20at%20your%20destination.">jet lag</a>, which is a stranger to few of us. This is a disconnect between the time your body thinks it is and the time by the clock, as you cross time zones.</p>
<p>Longer flights mean you are more likely (but not always) to cross more time zones. Jet lag will usually become more problematic when you cross three or more, especially if you’re travelling east.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/travelling-these-holidays-follow-tips-the-socceroos-use-to-conquer-jet-lag-87582">Travelling these holidays? Follow tips the Socceroos use to conquer jet lag</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>And if you take long-haul flights very often, it’s reasonable to assume that the longer you’re in the air, the greater the exposure to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aircrew/cosmicionizingradiation.html">cosmic radiation</a>. As the name suggests, this is radiation that comes from space, which may increase the risk of cancer and reproductive issues. We don’t know what level of exposure is safe.</p>
<p>However, unless you fly frequently it’s unlikely to be a problem. If you’re pregnant or have other concerns, have a chat to your GP before you fly. </p>
<p>And don’t forget COVID. Take the usual precautions – wash your hands regularly, wear a mask and don’t fly if you’re unwell.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-cut-your-chance-of-catching-covid-on-a-plane-wear-a-mask-and-avoid-business-class-180333">Want to cut your chance of catching COVID on a plane? Wear a mask and avoid business class</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>In a nutshell</h2>
<p>Research into how the body reacts to these longer, non-stop flights between Australia and Europe is in its early stages. <a href="https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-to-operate-project-sunrise-research-flights-direct-new-york-london-to-australia/">Teams in Australia</a> are looking at this now.</p>
<p>Until then, if you’re taking a regular long-haul flight, the advice is relatively simple.</p>
<p>Follow the advice the airlines give you, and see your GP before you travel if necessary. During flight, make that extra effort to move about the cabin, drink water, wear a mask and practise good hand hygiene.</p>
<p>And see a doctor immediately for any worrying symptoms after your flight, as blood clots can take hours or even days to form, grow and move along your veins.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/which-medicines-dont-go-well-with-flying-90222">Which medicines don’t go well with flying?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183034/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am a medical doctor specialising in General Practice and Aerospace Medicine, as well as a professional pilot currently working as a flight instructor and charter pilot across regional Australia. </span></em></p>No, you’re not imagining it. Your body does some weird things up in the air. Here’s a guide to the common and merely embarrassing to the rare, but serious.Tony Schiemer, Commercial Pilot | Aerospace Medicine Specialist | Clinical Lecturer, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1916322022-10-06T16:33:17Z2022-10-06T16:33:17ZClimate change: the fairest way to tax carbon is to make air travel more expensive<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488284/original/file-20221005-18-8glwcl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4214%2C2824&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A tiny minority flies more than once a year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/suitcases-airport-departure-lounge-airplane-background-450980248">ImYanis/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite the fact that poorer people generally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2020.12">have lower emissions</a>, taxes on the carbon dioxide (CO₂) our activities emit tend to affect people on low incomes <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2cb1">more</a> than richer people. Having less money means you can ill afford a switch to an untaxed alternative, like an electric car, or pay for carbon-saving measures like home insulation. You are also more likely to struggle to use less of an essential good like petrol or gas for heating, even if the price goes up.</p>
<p>Carbon taxes on energy that people use in their homes – for heating, cooking or watching TV – charge consumers for the emissions per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity, gas or oil used. Economists would say that these kinds of carbon taxes are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2cb1">regressive</a>, because using energy to heat and power your home is a necessity and poorer people will use a much higher share of their income to pay for these things – and the taxes – than richer people.</p>
<p>While total emissions have been <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0419-7">falling</a> in several rich countries over the last few years, emissions from cars and other means of transport are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abee4e">growing</a>. The rise in air travel emissions has been especially rapid: a roughly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117834">sevenfold increase</a> between 1960 and 2018 globally. </p>
<p>What’s more, the fuels for heating and powering homes or driving cars are taxed, but the fuel airlines use is exempt due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-1940s-treaty-set-airlines-on-a-path-to-high-emissions-and-low-regulation-148818">an international agreement</a> from 1944.</p>
<p>And although Europeans generally <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095937801831238X?via%3Dihub">disapprove</a> of carbon taxes, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2022.2115050">our study</a> has revealed one type which could prove popular. In the first analysis of its kind to consider the effect on different income bands, we found that carbon taxes on air travel – what we describe as luxury emissions – nearly always affect the rich more.</p>
<h2>Tax burdens from air travel</h2>
<p>Our research examined how the burden from four different taxes on air travel would fall across income groups in the UK. It shows that all of these taxes are progressive: they burden richer people more than poorer people as a proportion of income. This is because people on higher incomes are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.05.008">much more likely to fly</a>, and fly more often.</p>
<p>Air travel taxes that apply to passengers could be levied on the emissions of each passenger per flight. People could also be taxed according to the distance they travel, or their seat class. An aeroplane’s economy class occupies the least space per person, while business- and first-class passengers take up more room and so are responsible for more emissions than the average passenger. </p>
<p>A person could also be taxed for the number of flights they take. A <a href="https://afreeride.org/">frequent flyer levy</a> would exempt the first return flight a person takes in a year, but would tax subsequent flights at an increasing rate. We found that taxes that take both flight emissions and the number of flights per passenger into account distribute the tax burden fairest.</p>
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<img alt="Large sofas and TV screens in the first-class section of an aeroplane." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488285/original/file-20221005-20-yxa2wf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">First-class passengers can be taxed more per flight than those flying in economy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dubai-uae-november-10-2015-qatar-355934918">M101Studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The reason for this is that frequent air travel (all flights after the first return flight) is even more unequally distributed in society: the top 10% of emitters are responsible for 60.8% of flight emissions but for 83.7% of emissions from frequent flights.</p>
<p>Who else except the wealthy is likely to be affected by taxes on air travel? We found that, in the UK, university graduates, employed people, young and middle-aged adults, residents of London, as well as first- and second-generation migrants are also more likely to fly than their counterparts, regardless of income. </p>
<p>Our results showed that recent migrants with friends and family abroad are relatively likely to fly often, even when on a low income. So allowances or extra support for recent migrants could make the design of such taxes fairer.</p>
<p>Overall, taxes on air travel are far more socially just than taxes on necessities such as home energy use and could curb luxury emissions in a way that nurtures broad support for more sweeping decarbonisation measures such as those designed to limit car travel, like <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-022-01057-y">expanding bus and cycling lanes</a>.</p>
<p>So why do politicians and others claim, as former UK treasury minister Robert Jenrick did in 2019, that air travel taxes <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8128492/labour-holiday-tax-family-break/">disproportionately hit the poor</a>? It’s possible that they underestimate how little people in low-income groups actually fly, perhaps due to their typically middle- and upper-class backgrounds. </p>
<p>A less charitable interpretation is that they have ulterior motives for opposing such taxes. Social scientists claim that exaggerating or misrepresenting the social justice consequences of environmental policy is one of the most common <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-denial-hasnt-gone-away-heres-how-to-spot-arguments-for-delaying-climate-action-141991">arguments</a> used to stall vital action on climate change.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Milena Buchs receives funding from UK Research and Innovation through the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (grant reference number EP/R035288/1). She is a fellow of the ZOE Institute for Future Fit Economies and curates the sustainable welfare stream for the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Giulio Mattioli receives funding from the German Research Foundation as part of the research project “Advancing knowledge of long-distance travel: Uncovering its connections to mobility biography, migration, and daily travel” (Project Number: SCHE 1692/10–1). </span></em></p>Carbon taxes targeting luxury emissions are more popular than those which make necessities more expensive.Milena Buchs, Professor of Sustainable Welfare, University of LeedsGiulio Mattioli, Research Fellow, Department of Transport Planning, Technical University of DortmundLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1885852022-09-20T04:19:41Z2022-09-20T04:19:41ZHere’s the real reason to turn on aeroplane mode when you fly<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484174/original/file-20220913-2241-id16e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=74%2C216%2C5466%2C3456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/p9vr45T2scg">Blake Guidry/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all know the routine by heart: “Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins and electronic devices are set to flight mode”.</p>
<p>Now, the first four are reasonable, right? Window shades need to be up so we can see if there’s an emergency, such as fire. Tray tables need to be stowed and seats upright so we can get out of the row quickly. Laptops can become projectiles in an emergency, as the seat back pockets are not strong enough to contain them.</p>
<p>And mobile phones need to be set to flight mode so they can’t <em>cause</em> an emergency for the aeroplane, right? Well, it depends whom you ask.</p>
<h2>Technology has advanced a great deal</h2>
<p>Aviation navigation and communication relies on radio services, which have been coordinated to minimise interference <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050232846/downloads/20050232846.pdf">since the 1920s</a>.</p>
<p>The digital technology currently in use is much more advanced than some of the older analogue technologies we used even 60 years ago. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146521008851">Research has shown</a> personal electronic devices can emit a signal within the same frequency band as the aircraft’s communications and navigation systems, creating what is known as electromagnetic interference.</p>
<p>But in 1992, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">the US Federal Aviation Authority</a> and Boeing, <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_10/interfere_textonly.html">in an independent study</a>, investigated the use of electronic devices on aircraft interference and found no issues with computers or other personal electronic devices during non-critical phases of flight. (Take-offs and landings are considered the critical phases.) </p>
<p>The US Federal Communications Commission also began to create <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">reserved frequency bandwidths</a> for different uses – such as mobile phones and aircraft navigation and communications – so they do not interfere with one another. Governments around the globe developed the same <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050232846/downloads/20050232846.pdf">strategies and policies to prevent interference</a> problems with aviation. In the EU, electronic devices have been <a href="https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/news/easa-allows-electronic-devices-remain-and-connected-throughout-flight">allowed to stay on since 2014</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/using-your-phone-on-a-plane-is-safe-but-for-now-you-still-cant-make-calls-98136">Using your phone on a plane is safe – but for now you still can't make calls</a>
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<h2>2.2 billion passengers</h2>
<p>Why then, with these global standards in place, has the aviation industry continued to ban the use of mobile phones? One of the problems lies with something you may not expect – <em>ground</em> interference.</p>
<p>Wireless networks are connected by <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">a series of towers</a>; the networks could become overloaded if passengers flying over these ground networks are all using their phones. <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/564717/airline-industry-passenger-traffic-globally/">The number of passengers that flew in 2021</a> was over 2.2 billion, and that’s half of what the 2019 passenger numbers were. The wireless companies might have a point here. </p>
<p>Of course, when it comes to mobile networks, the biggest change in recent years is the move to a new standard. Current 5G wireless networks – desirable for their higher speed data transfer – have caused concern for many within the aviation industry.</p>
<p>Radio frequency bandwidth is limited, yet we are still trying to add more new devices to it. The aviation industry points out that the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146521008851">5G wireless network bandwidth spectrum</a> is remarkably close to the reserved aviation bandwidth spectrum, which may cause <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2304975-will-5g-mobile-networks-in-the-us-really-interfere-with-aircraft/">interference with navigation systems near airports</a> that assist with landing the aircraft.</p>
<p>Airport operators <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australian-airports-fret-over-5g-interference-582222">in Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.faa.gov/5g">the US</a> have voiced aviation safety concerns linked to 5G rollout, however it appears to have rolled out without such problems <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/19/business/5g-aviation-safety-europe/index.html">in the European Union</a>. Either way, it is prudent to limit mobile phone use on planes while issues around 5G are sorted out.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-5g-really-ground-planes-why-the-us-has-delayed-rolling-out-the-mobile-internet-technology-around-airports-175215">Could 5G really ground planes? Why the US has delayed rolling out the mobile internet technology around airports</a>
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<h2>Ultimately, we can’t forget air rage</h2>
<p>Most airlines now provide customers with Wi-Fi services that are either pay-as-you-go or free. With new Wi-Fi technologies, passengers could theoretically use their mobile phones to <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8010762">make video calls with friends</a> or clients in-flight. </p>
<p>On a recent flight, I spoke with a cabin attendant and asked her opinion on phone use during flights. It would be an inconvenience for cabin crew to wait for passengers to finish their call to ask them if they would like any drinks or something to eat, she stated. On an airliner with 200+ passengers, in-flight service would take longer to complete if everyone was making phone calls. </p>
<p>For me, the problem with in-flight use of phones is more about the social experience of having 200+ people on a plane, and all potentially talking at once. In a time when disruptive passenger behaviour, including “air rage”, <a href="http://www.jairm.org/index.php/jairm/article/view/156">is increasingly frequent</a>, phone use in flight might be another trigger that changes the whole flight experience. </p>
<p>Disruptive behaviours take on various forms, from noncompliance to safety requirements such as not wearing seat belts, verbal altercations with fellow passengers and cabin crew, to physical altercations with passengers and cabin crews – typically identified as air rage. </p>
<p>In conclusion – in-flight use of phones does not currently impair the aircraft’s ability to operate. But cabin crews may prefer not to be delayed in providing in-flight service to all of the passengers – it’s a lot of people to serve. </p>
<p>However, 5G technology is encroaching on the radio bandwidth of aircraft navigation systems; we’ll need more research <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-5g-puts-airplanes-at-risk-an-electrical-engineer-explains-175306">to answer the 5G question</a> regarding interference with aircraft navigation during landings. Remember that when we are discussing the two most critical phases of flight, take-offs are optional – but landings are mandatory.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reducing-air-travel-by-small-amounts-each-year-could-level-off-the-climate-impact-171184">Reducing air travel by small amounts each year could level off the climate impact</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Drury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Is it true our phones are dangerous for aircraft navigation? An expert explains.Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.