The Idea of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility form the basis of ethics in business. For a company to be deemed as sustainable and responsible, they should focus on the strategic use of business ethics in their industry. A strong determinant of the aviation industry revolves around the ethics and social responsibility practiced in that industry. There have been rapid developments in the aviation industry that calls forth the practice of business ethics. The concept of professionalism, equality, allegiance, trustworthiness, and impartiality are part of the business ethics practiced in the aviation industry. The aviation industry also operates on certain moral principles, such as referring to the religion and customs that are used by all aviation industries. The business ethics in most industries are about topics such as the employee's fair and equal treatment, eradication of discrimination in employment, and fair remuneration. Lack of business ethics in an industry may result in economic crises such as the quality of work deteriorating, reduced motivation, internal chaos, and the creation of a sense of impunity.
The present paper examines ethics in maintenance practices such as inspection, safety, and accountability in the aviation industry. The paper will first examine the state of the aviation industry before examining the maintenance practices. Lastly, the paper will explore involved ethics.
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The Airline Industry
The deregulation of the airline industry by the US government led to an increase in the market competition in which major airlines offer low airfares. The hub and spoke, a new business strategy was created in retaliation to the increased market competition to minimize the costs (Benton, 1995). Additionally, the code-share contracts were developed to change the competitive nature of the airline industry. The leading airlines decided to create central hubs in urban areas where they partnered with small regional carriers relying on them to forage their domestic network system. The merging required the regional carriers to have the ticket color and codes that were similar to that of the leading airlines. The major airlines pay the regional airlines a set amount of money when each flight has been completed to honor the agreement. The fares under this joint agreement model are reasonably affordable to the advantage of the consumers as they benefit from the new lower air traveling costs (Benton, 1995). However, the risk that comes along with cheaper air travel compromises the safety of the consumers.
Maintenance Practices
Aircrafts require repairs and maintenance activities after every flight. Inspections and repairs require highly trained and qualified technicians to avoid errors that can lead to fatal accidents (Baron, 2011). Aircraft technicians and engineers who inspect and repair planes are responsible for the planes that they handle whether an issue emerges later or not. Today, technicians can repair an aircraft that can fly for long hours at high altitudes without significant errors. The evolution of the aviation industry over the past decades necessitates that technicians should also evolved both in knowledge and in proficiency to meet the current needs of the industry in terms of maintenance. The aviation maintenance individuals are accountable for their actions based on the established regulations under the Federal Aviation Administration oversight.
One of the leading causes of aircraft accidents is human factors (Baron, 2011). Poor aviation maintenance and inspection practices are found to be the leading causes of accidents in aviation (Baron, 2011). The organizations' culture, decisions, and processes are causal factors of maintenance-related accidents. Back in 1985, an aircraft crashed in japan as a result of poor maintenance issues (O'Brien, 2019). According to the report given the technicians responsible for maintaining the plane failed to install the correct equipment to reinforce the aircraft, which led to the crash on Mount Takamagahara. Poor maintenance practices also led to an aircraft crash in Miami Beach, Florida. Metal fatigue initiated by a crack present in the right-wing of the airplane caused the accident. A similar case occurred in Chicago, where the airliner crashed minutes after take-off. It is speculated that the root cause of the crash was a maintenance hitch that he technicians ignored. According to the accident report, the airliner suffered a failure in the pylon structure. It is reported that the planes went ahead to perform an engine change without consultation from an expert, which became disastrous.
Several issues inclusive of passenger safety have also emerged due to the subcontracting of flights to regional carriers. According to the code-share contract, crew training and safety of flight operations are accounted for by the local carrier. The deals relieve the major airlines of their responsibility in ensuring safety for the regional associates (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2014). The inadequate pilot training and qualifications may result in the carrier airlines having safety problems. The carrier pilots also have professionally insufficient backgrounds as some of them are noted to earn the tittle captain only after nine months while the legal requirements to attain that title is after five to ten years of proficiency. The lack of proper follow-ups in tittle proficiency is as a result of the financial pressures that force the regional carriers into promoting inexperienced pilots to the title of captain, putting the safety of the flight crew and passengers at risk (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2014). Another safety concern in the code-sharing contract is the fact that the regional carriers are only paid after completing their flights. Such arrangements in the business compel regional airlines to attempt flying in unsafe conditions to fulfill their part of the business bargain to be paid, which risks the lives of everyone on board.
Ethical Implications
The government and business associates participate in ethical decision making to attain decisions that have remarkable social consequences concerning the welfare, safety, and health of the community, employees, and consumers. Based on the earlier described situation, the physical security of the passengers and flight crew is compromised when they are denied the right to physical security (Baron, 2011). The psychical safety of the named persons is an essential human right that ought to be protected by the regional airlines, major airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The organizations' culture, decisions, and processes are causal factors of maintenance-related accidents (Wofford, 2018). These groups are obliged to safeguard the individuals from rights violations by ensuring the safety of the crew member and passengers before flight take-offs through proper maintenance practices based on the established guidelines.
Businesses are considered immoral when they place money as their priority while endangering human life (Baum, 2009). In the above case, the profit-driven major airlines outsourced their regional flights as an opportunity to decrease their costs (Benton, 1995). The major airlines exempted themselves from being held responsible for the actions of minor carrier airlines. In an attempt to minimize their costs, the major airlines jeopardized the safety of crew members and that of the passengers (Benton, 1995). In turn, this presents clear evidence of an unethical business practice. Additionally, the FAA and the major airlines act irresponsibly when they give passengers misleading information about the kind of airline they are using.
Regional carriers handle most of the commercial flights. The rising concerns about poor maintenance practices and the safety of passengers raise ethical issues about the FAA and the carriers. The major airlines are obliged to take responsibility for their regional partners to operate safely. Moreover, the local carriers should improve on their standards of operations, including safety measures and maintenance practices that are equal in measure as that of the major airlines. The government and the FAA ought to initiate and enforce legislative changes to fortify pilot qualifications, modify the agreements of the code-share, and raise the training standards of pilots and crew members. The passengers should be given the right to access the right information about the flights they are using concerning the code-sharing arrangements to enhance their decision making during ticket purchasing.
References
Baron, R. I. (2011, March 3). Do the Right Thing. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://flightsafety.org/asw-article/do-the-right-thing/.
Benton, P. A. (1995). Ethics in aviation education. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research , 5 (2), 4. https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1147&context=jaaer
Baum, M. S. (2009). Aviation Maintenance Technicians Model Code of Conduct. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from http://www.secureav.com/AMTMCC-v1.0.htm.
Carroll, A. B., & Buchholtz, A. K. (2014). Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management . Nelson Education.
O'Brien, J. (2019, September 26). Aviation Maintenance Accidents & Failures of History. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://www.fiixsoftware.com/blog/poor-maintenance-cost-lives/.
Wofford, J. (2018, May 7). Professionalism, Ethical Behavior Leads to Safe Operations: NBAA - National Business Aviation Association. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operations/safety/professionalism-in-business-aviation/professionalism-ethical-behavior-leads-safe-operations/.
