Leveling the Global Aviation Playing Field

Leveling the Global Aviation Playing Field

The largest three U.S. airlines and four labor unions have teamed

together to create the Partnership for Fair and Open Skies in the U.S.

They are lobbying to change the unfair advantages that Persian Gulf

states are enjoying. They are direct competition to the domestic

airline scene with their heavy expansion. The domestic scene is being

very proactive in their manner of handling the situation. With the

help of the E.U., new negotiations are under way to address this

issue. Without a change, we could be seeing even less domestic

carriers in our own country, which would be terrible.

Another issue facing our domestic airlines ability to compete in the

global market is the quality of planes. It is imperative to update our

protocols and methods of flying because there is ever-new research to

help make these safer. There is also a need to have newer planes

because newer planes mean more efficient planes. Susan L. Kurland,

assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs at the

department of transportation, promoted a new system to accomplish

these things. She said "FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation

System — or NextGen — is helping us enhance safety and efficiency by

transforming our aviation infrastructure. NextGen technologies and

procedures guide aircraft on more direct routes, improve

communications, save fuel and decrease delays," said Kurland. "NextGen

is not only good for the environment, but it also reduces costs to

airlines and is good for business, jobs and the manufacturing base."

References

Airlines could slash ticket prices as fuel costs plummet. Here's why they won't. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/20/airlines-could-slash-ticket-prices-as-fuel-costs-plummet-heres-why-they-wont/

Mouawad, J. (2015, March 17). Gulf Carriers Strike Back at U.S. Campaign to Re-examine Open-Skies Agreements. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/business/international/gulf-carriers-strike-back-at-us-campaign-to-re-examine-open-skies-agreements.html?_r=0

Transportation & infrastructure Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=387138

Transportation & infrastructure Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=387138

UAVs

UAVs are a very controversial subject in the United States. They are generally associated with the military but are now being used by the civilian population. Civilians are new to this field and are still experimenting with the safety of UAVs. They are being used to monitor weather, make 3-D maps, protect wildlife, search and rescue, and even to take care of farms. The FAA has numerous regulations in place for civilian flyers. Operators must keep unmanned aircraft in their sight, fly no higher than 400 feet, and stay well clear of manned aircraft just to name a few.

              It seems inevitable that UAVs will integrate into our National Airspace System. Entrepreneurs will explore this route and exploit its commercial viability. They will first need to overcome the FAA and also the perception of the general public. The safety and reliability of UAVs in adverse weather conditions is an apparent hurdle that will have to be cleared by these groups. Once the industry overcomes that they will need to go on a strong public relations campaign. Humans don’t want drones flying overhead because that will give an eerie feeling of a big brother. There will be an outcry that drones will leave nearly no privacy for the entire population. The people, and particularly myself, have lost trust in the government to protect our privacy. The chief reason being the government violates that trust more than any other entity.

              The military is currently the largest user of drones. Drones are very practical and much more efficient, when used properly. By using an unmanned aircraft, there is no inherent danger when carrying out missions. This allows a trained soldier that could be thousands of miles away to coordinate exactly what the drone will do. The U.S. military spends billions on these drone projects.

Sources

Facts | Know Before You Fly. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/facts/

Handwerk, B. (2013, June 6). 5 Surprising Drone Uses (Besides Pizza Delivery). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130606-drone-uav-surveillance-unmanned-domicopter-flight-civilian-helicopter/

Search for Jobs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://jobs.uavjobbank.com/a/jobs/list/