Airport Safety in Academic and Popular Sources
Americans enjoy traveling every day. Whether to a local business, to a distant university, or to a vacation destination, everyone moves to some location. Individuals decide which method of transportation is best for their needs, and the choice varies on efficiency and availability. However, the security of a method serves as a large factor in deciding if one form of transportation should be used over another. Many choose flying on an airplane because there is increased efficiency, but many hesitate in flying because there are increased concerns. Incidents ranging from minor turbulence to national disaster have caused some fear in the American public. Reactions to and concerns about this fear have varied from serious to humorous in academic articles and social media. Academic writings tend to focus on concrete errors in the airline system and seek to find a solution for the problem. Personal websites and social media reflect a more abstract approach to airline safety. In blogs, many discuss personal opinions about airline safety and offer nothing more than complaints or critiques. Academic and social sources greatly vary in structure and form of airline safety discussions; however, they each spur general thoughts concerning airline safety.
In an academic article, researchers target rational concerns over the airline industry, discuss the issue at hand, and then offer a solution to the problem. The concentration falls on airline or airport policies focused on the well being of travelers. Jacqueline Walker in “Airline Policy for Passengers Requiring Supplemental In-Flight Oxygen” aims to investigate the current in-flight oxygen policy. The concern is for passengers with lung disease and questions whether airlines can support those who require in-flight oxygen. Safety concerns for oxygen delivery, approval schemes, and equipment are revealed. The findings highlight “inconsistencies in airline policies and substantial cost differences for those requiring in-flight oxygen” (Walker 589). Additionally, Paul Kelly also discusses in “Airline Policies for Passengers with Obstructive Sleep Apnea who Require In-flight Continuous Positive Airways Pressure” one issue with passenger air-quality safety in airlines. The article suggests sleep apnea is aggravated at high altitude and examines if airlines allow flyers to properly handle their condition. Many passengers with sleep apnea desire to use their own prescribed CPAP therapy during flights, and particularly during overnight and long-distance flights. In general, knowledge of the use of CPAP by passengers was “poor among airline staff” (Kelly 556). Researchers in both of these academic articles hope that airlines will consider improving their services for and establish policies relating to in-flight air-quality.
Academic articles also discuss the overall safety of the airline industry. These sources claim air travel has become safer in recent years. Researchers investigated thoroughly airline’s programs for hiring and training crewmembers, its maintenance policies for equipment, and the way it deals with deviations from its safety standards. By using this method, Arnold Barnett in “Airline Safety: Some Empirical Findings” found that the U.S. domestic carriers have achieved a safety record that is “excellent in both absolute and relative terms” (Barnett 1045). Fatality rates have dropped over 50% in the last 15 years, suggesting airline safety is not a stagnate priority. Mary Higgins in “Airline Safety: The Last Decade” also supports this view claiming the last decade was a period of exceptional progress in safety. Within the safest group of airlines, the death risk per flight fell to one in 11 million. Both articles focus on using data and statistics to consider the primary questions in safety. The ability of the best airlines to keep getting better could transpire into far greater safety yet again within our lifetime. Even as airports evolve into multiple types and dynamic commercial centers, the safety of a facility is still key. James Ott in “Runway Redux” contemplates the idea that as airport facilities grow, levels of traveler safety improve. Modifications to current safety standards “approach the challenges brought by capacity needs, environmental concerns, and security” (Ott 143). Progression of time has allowed developers to streamline airline safety processes. These academic findings salute airlines in their improvements of passenger safety.
Social media writings on the airline industry are based on experiences, suggestions, and complaints of passengers. Contrary to academic articles, popular articles are collaborations of public opinion and reactions from attentive readers. Since anyone can collaborate in this form of writing, topics vary in posts within a single source. “The Cranky Flier” blog, written by Brett Snyder, offers commentary on every aspect of air travel. Conversations range from airplane assembly, aviation club meetings, and trip reports. The topic that generates the most response from readers deals with airports of the future, debating improvements in current airline standards and safety measures. Travelers return the discussion to practical ways the industry can be changed. The “Travel Security” blog focuses on news and commentary about travel safety, airline security, and airport security. Public comments are strictly responses to current security issues. These reactions show the nation’s great concern in personal safety.
Not surprising, the best blogs include entertaining adventures to exotic places, informative maps of flight travels and destinations, and detailed photo journals and diaries to show beautiful journeys and travels. However, the overarching theme causing great public response is one of creating better standards for passengers. Jon Ostrower of “Flight Blogger” journals of his own experiences with flying. Ostrower does discuss the latest destinations he visited, but many of the posts focus on the construction of new aircrafts. Extending the discussion to building airplanes, readers can gain insight into the precautions taken to create the safest airliner possible. In addition to helping connect flyers to the airlines and getting consumers involved in the industry, authors of “SimpliFlying” write about crisis management among airlines. Posts with top safety tips, such as how to handle flying in a hurricane, are popular among readers. The “SimplifFlying” blog continues the style of mixing light-hearted feature stories with the serious conversation of keeping passengers safe.
Finally, social media offers a humorous outlet for those who may dislike the current policies of the airline industry. Bill Forster, a former TSA screener, became so distraught over his career that he created a comic-style security blog. He uses the blog as a form to vent years of suppressed hostility towards his most embarrassing job. The drawings take a satirical look at current passenger activities. Whatever the topic, the cartoon always is followed by a short write-up describing the cartoon, the situation, and the thoughts of Forster. Although the blog does not focus on pressing security issues, the comics and writings analyze topics of discussion from an amusing point of view. Security is a serious matter for all airplane passengers; however, everyone can find some entertainment in this subject. Sometimes, like Forster, when an issue overwhelms someone, the only outlet available is humor.
In addition to the natural differences in academic and social media writing, the topic of airline security creates vastly diverse discussions. Articles are concerned with being rich in content and more informative than anything else. Blogs tend to have more leeway and follow a completely different structure. These two types of written media logically are supposed to have different audiences and tones. Walker takes the scholarly approach by using a case study to explain one safety problem; “Airline Policy for Passengers Requiring Supplemental in-flight oxygen” shares the summary of the research conducted. The findings from the presented study can be “used as a resource for passengers with lung disease who are planning air travel, and may also be a catalyst for air travel providers to consider the development of a standard policy for the industry” (Walker 594). The research shares data and people can take practical actions, whereas the “Travel Security” blog only offers an explanation to a similar issue. The speculation, not facts, about air safety events and issues are posted. In the blog, there is no further analysis, evidence, or proposed solution to air quality problems; there is only a description. “The Cranky Flier” too only offers an explanation of what travelers want from their airports. Through posts and comments, the public shares their craving for shorter security lines and a faster process to make it through an airport. The conversation ends at this unfulfilled wish. “Airline Safety: The Last Decade” only starts with the desire of improving airport efficiency. The article begins by analyzing how airports have improved in safety standards over the past ten years, and it then discusses how the policies will continue to improve over our lifetime. Through proposing new plans and modifications to old systems, the article promises that the “best airlines will keep getting better” (Higgins 17). The rudimentary writings and eclectic styles of blogs parallels the amount of insight produced from them. Social media of airline safety offers only personal descriptions and desires of the industry. Contrarily, academic articles in their sophisticated writing and analysis can guarantee to thoroughly explain and provide a developed solution to a specific problem. For a pressing issue such as human welfare, readers may wish to find solutions in well-constructed scholarly articles. There is, nevertheless, one similarity both forms of media share. Together, academic and popular sources in this subject generate thought or at least mention one overly general topic: airport safety.
As travelers depend daily on the swift voyage airlines provide, the need to advance current airline policies and actions continues. Safety is a top concern for all passengers, and this worry will never disappear. People will always react to these concerns. Because innovation deteriorates over time, academic articles and popular writings need to work together in proposing new safety advancements. The next phase in airline safety writings will be collaborations of the two styles. Articles and blogs will have to combine both public opinion and practical solutions, so the gap between writing forms narrows. This cooperation will allow further and quicker advancements in safety for airline passengers. As safety improves, Americans will continue using the efficient airlines every day.
