Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Capabilities: Are Today’s Standards Protecting Passenger’s Futures?

Few studies have been conducted that have truly considered the relevance and inadequacies of applicable aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) regulations. Fewer still have studied and explored accident cases that directly exemplify the deficiencies and inconsistencies of various regulatory standards and requirements. This study seeks to expose and explain those inadequacies by utilizing a historical, case-study type research method to examine accident cases during which time the governing regulations played a significant role in the ARFF operations. The findings discovered as a result of this multi-case analysis provide evidence that the current regulations governing United States ARFF operations are both outdated and inadequate. Results indicated that major regulatory issues primarily involve incomplete or inaccurate documentation, inadequate training, minimum staffing, and minimum equipment. Cross-case analysis suggests that the accident victims would be most at risk at airports that are not as fully equipped and staffed as those examined in this study. Continued research on this topic must be pursued in order to recommend specific changes to modernize ARFF regulations

Longitudinal Analysis of Perceived and Objective Airline Performance Quality

Commercial air carrier performance is a multivariable function, uniquely and substantially impacted by passenger\u27s perception of negative employee behavior. High industry visibility, coupled with exponential social media growth, has provided the incredible potential to either widen or narrow the perception-performance gap. The present research conducts a rare longitudinal evaluation of objective airline performance quality in contrast with consumer perceptions of perceived airline performance and the dynamic changes occurring therein. Additionally, the implications regarding air carriers facing both objective and perceived performance challenges, as well as implications for the industry as a whole, are discussed. Utilizing nearly 30 years of objective airline performance data gathered by the annual Airline Quality Rating, integrated with a decade of passenger perception and behavioral research from the Airline Passenger Survey, a longitudinal model of disparity is created analyzing performance perceptions versus reality through the identification of relational patterns in the data sets. The change in the degree of disparity, between actual and perceived performance, as it relates to the dissemination of highly visible performance events (both positive and negative) are assessed. The objective and perceived performance gap has the potential to widen over time and is likely to continue to expand in the near future. The development of this longitudinal model provides an improved understanding of passenger perceptions and behaviors relating to negative employee behavior, which, previously a micro-level experience, now has the ability to be disseminated to a global consumer audience, potentially resulting in far-reaching consequences

A Qualitative Assessment of Airline Passenger Satisfaction

Each year, airline passengers respond to the Airline Passenger Survey providing feedback of their experiences with major domestic (U.S.) airlines. The Airline Passenger Survey analyzes responses to a varied set of questions. This specific study is limited to the single open-ended question within the survey. This question is optional, but allows an opportunity to share any issues, concerns, and/or complaints regarding their own air travel experiences. There is no limitation on the number of words submitted. Through the application of a thematic coding scheme, results show what the highest concerns of airline passengers have been the last two years

Aviation Safety, Quality, and Economic Impact: A Policy Research System

The United States airline industry is experiencing an underlying mix of challenges in areas of Quality, Safety, and Economics. This research focuses on three major components and the economic impact of each. The first aspect, Airline Quality and Safety Analysis, lays down a focus on imperative safety factors that affect major airlines in overall performance. Quality and Safety findings relate to potential safety shortcomings in the second aspect, aviation maintenance Safety Management Systems (SMS). The third aspect involves implementing the Policy Research Construct (PRC) methodology, which relates the underlying challenges in Airline Quality, Safety, and Economic areas by conducting research and analysis, in order to provide policymakers with action-oriented recommendations for correcting problems. The student authors for this work are affiliated with the Department of Safety in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. Tori Kobayashi is a graduate student in the MS Safety Science program. Calissa Spooner is an undergraduate student in the Industrial Psychology and Safety program

Quality Analysis of United States Commercial Air Carriers: Airline Quality Rating 2019

Past research regarding major U.S. commercial air carriers and consumer perceptions of airline performance has provided little more than a descriptive “snapshot” of the average air traveler. Using the most recent data and findings, as well as building on the previous 29 continuous years of research with the national Airline Quality Rating (AQR), the present study attempts to move beyond the basic descriptive information by identifying significant changes that have occurred over the previous year. Collectively, changes may influence the way consumers, at varying levels of travel frequency, view the commercial air industry. This research utilizes trend analysis methodology by examining airline data from the most current report. This approach provides a means to track airlines’ progressions and regressions in operational performance and allows for the development of theories in data shifts and trends. The development of this qualitative model also enables industry experts to enhance their understanding of the attitudinal patterns and relationships between airline performance and consumer viewpoints. Additionally, this study attempts outline the measurable results from the Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumers Report and exemplify the formula-driven, weighted averages calculated by the Airline Quality Rating. The most recent findings suggest that the airline industry has improved significantly, and the flying public has noticed this improvement in performance. Kaetlyn Blocker is a Graduate Research Assistant in ERAU Prescott\u27s College of Aviation, Master of Safety Science program

Quality, Performance, and Consumer Perceptions: A National Study of US Airlines

Prior inquiry into consumer perceptions, attitudes, and overall satisfaction regarding commercial mainline passenger carriers in the United States has provided little more than a snapshot of the average air traveler. Building on 28 continuous years of research with the National Airline Quality Rating (AQR), this study attempts to move beyond descriptive information in order to identify relationships and trends in the airline industry’s performance and relate those observations to consumer perceptions. This study will utilize a comparative trend analysis methodology to analyze major United States Airlines\u27 performance and quality over the last 28 years. This methodology provides a means of tracking airline\u27s progressions and regressions in operational performance and allows for the development of theories in data shifts and trends. This study will attempt to exemplify the objective formula-driven weighted averages that constitute the Airline Quality Rating. The development of this qualitative model provides industry leaders with the ability to improve their understanding of airline performance and make adjustments to their operations for continued growth development. The student authors are affiliated with the Department of Safety in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. Tori Kobayashi and Kaetlyn Blocker are graduate students in the College of Aviation, MS Safety Science program. Calissa Spooner is an undergraduate student in the Industrial Psychology and Safety program