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Abstract
This article reviews the professional environment of the Airline Pilot before and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Research on the effects of the changes within the environment as changes in stress levels on the major carriers’ pilots reveals a decrease in self-reported deviations as compiled by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Yerkes/Dodson stress-performance relationship is offered as a possible explanation for changes in behavior. ...
Introduction
The dramatic and traumatic events of September 11, 2001 have predictably impacted nearly every American’s life in one way or another. ... An industry profoundly affected by the 9/11 attacks is the airline industry – the industry that provided the very weapons used in the attacks. ... As an airline pilot for the world’s largest airline for the last half decade, I have a unique view of those effects. In the following pages, I will discuss changes in the commercial aviation industry – specifically the major airlines - as a result of the events of 9/11. Further, I will discuss the secondary effects of the changes on airline pilots, discuss the associated stresses, and offer statistically supported suggestions of the overall effect on job performance that these new stressors have created.
To understand the effects of the 9/11 attacks on the airline industry and airline pilots, one must understand the pre and post 9/11 professional environment. There are many factors that could be used as a measure, but three stand out in the author’s mind as representative: The economy, airline security, and professional training at the federal and industry level.
The Pre-9/11 World
The Economy, Pre-9/11. The airline industry is very cyclical in nature, with the economy as a major influence on its health. ... The airline industry lags behind the economy’s changes by as much as a year, but reacts often more dramatically than even the stock market or any other major economic yardstick.
In the mid to late 1990’s, when the American economy was arguably stronger than it had been in recent decades, the airline industry was booming. ... For the “new-hire” airline pilot, mobility within the company was fluid. Because all the major airlines use a seniority based set of work rules, a pilot could ask for a different aircraft assignment, domicile or division (international or domestic), and have reasonable assurance of being awarded the request within a few months as a result of the flood of new-hire pilots. ... In short, the late 90’s was a good time to be an airline pilot.
Airline Security Pre-9/11. ... Since the Federal government and private airline industry viewed the most likely and lethal threat to an airplane to be a wired explosive or firearm, the screening was optimized to seek out that threat. Prior to de-regulation, airline pilots enjoyed the ability to pass security screening points if they had the appropriate credentials. Even in the post-deregulated environment where pilots were required to pass through public screening, they were given priority over the traveling public, allowed to proceed to the front of the line. Rarely was a pilot subjected to additional screening, even on international flights. ...
Training Pre-9/11. Training for security events in the pre-9/11 environment was oriented toward unruly passengers or the highly unlikely attempt to commandeer an aircraft for political means. ... In the last decade before the 9/11 attacks, unruly passenger events were becoming more and more common. ...
The Post 9/11 World
The Economy Post 9/11. In the days that followed the 9/11 attacks, the airline industry suffered the worst downturn in its history.
Approximate Word count = 2993
Approximate Pages = 12
(250 words per page double spaced)
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