OPINION
“
Question: Covid-19 and the
The aviation industry,
like the entire world,
is in a state of shock
from the pandemic.
It is quite possible
that this pandemic
will shutter some
airlines for good. So
yes, there is doom and gloom. However,
this industry, and the people that drive it,
are resilient, innovative and intelligent.
Commercial aviation will recover, but
it will be forever changed in the post-
Covid-19 world. Just like it changed post-
9-11. How, and to what extent is still
evolving… and I believe it will continue to
do so for the remainder of 2020 and quite
possibly 2021 or beyond.
While composing this piece, airlines
have already started to take some
specific actions in an attempt to address
the uncertainty of passengers travelling
during the pandemic. Measures include
issuing staff with personal protective
equipment, public statements on
cleaning regimes, seating assignment
algorithms to help with social distancing,
and more. While I appreciate these
actions in the near term, I don’t believe
they will be successful as currently
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016 JUNE 2020
deployed, and certainly it will be a
challenge to sustain some of them for
the longer term.
It will be challenging, but we need to
approach the long-term solutions as
holistically as possible. Consensus and
cooperation across the entire aviation
ecosystem (airports, aircraft OEMs,
suppliers and airlines) will go a long way
to help in this crisis. We will need to
address physical processes that limit
the transmission of viruses and germs,
through the use of appropriate materials
and systems, and informed design of
spaces. In addition, even more so than
previous events that have affected our
industry, we will need to address the very
real psychological impact this pandemic
is having on global passengers.
Travellers already have the
perception that air travel
(especially on board an
airplane) is inherently more
‘germ-filled’ than the rest
of their lives. I won’t argue
why that is not true, but
psychologically the pandemic
will most likely magnify this
perception. Whether this
perception is true or not is
About Kent
Kent D. Craver is CEO of aviation consultancy, Craver &
Associates Consulting. He was regional director for cabin
experience and revenue analysis at Boeing from 2007-2019
and first gained his industry experience at Continental,
as manager of on-board product marketing and research.
irrelevant. In our post-pandemic reality,
we will need to address this issue and
establish psychological trust in
passengers of the safety of air travel.
Near term and especially long-term
solutions that address physical and
psychological challenges should be based
on science and valid passenger research
that delves into the deeper psychology
of the flying public. This effort should be
championed by the entire industry. It is
in our best interests that we apply the
resulting solutions and best practices
ubiquitously across the global travel
system. Trust cannot be established
overnight. Trust is not built on words
or even with initial actions. It is
only built through consistently
demonstrating the appropriate
actions over time.
It will be challenging,
but I have faith in
my thousands of
industry colleagues
around the globe to
find the path through
the pandemic to
blue skies and a
robust commercial
aviation industry.
Kent Craver Visit aircraftinteriorsinternational.com for regular blog content
commercial aviation industry:
doom and gloom or hope and
opportunities? Answer: Yes.
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