Plane crazy

However, if we were to look beyond these two incidents in isolation, we may be looking at a potential storm brewing in the passenger cabin. It is not a situation unique to airlines and it is more of a trend in society, although when released in the confines of the airliner’s cabin the pressure can rise far more quickly and lacks the space to dissipate.

One cannot imagine too many dust-ups in the refined cabin of a Super Constellation as it criss-crossed the globe sixty years ago. Air travel was refined and it was a privilege that warranted donning one’s best outfits and exercising one’s best manners. Cocktails and tablecloths, white gloves and hats were the order of the day – but times change.

Just as the jet age eclipsed the true airspeed of the propliners before them, society moved quicker than ever before and demanded that the airlines keep pace. Further, faster, higher was the order of the day and very quickly the call for cheaper joined the chorus. The wonder of flight had been replaced by brutal expectations within half a century and the voices became more in number and louder than ever before. But this was happening right across society as immediate convenience increased to unforeseen levels at a fraction of the cost as a trip to the library was replaced by a swipe and a Google. And with Google came social media.

Now in the 21st century, it seems as if life is at breakneck speed and one wonders just how fast we can go as a species. ‘Friendships’ are maintained by ‘likes’ and so many face-to-face conversations have been replaced text messages – LOL. It is equally easy to anonymously insult or bully another in this digital age and the airlines seem to be a favoured whipping boy. After all, they are easy targets and their complex inner workings are incredibly misunderstood.

There is so much more to executing a safe flight than printing out a boarding pass, walking down an aerobridge and sitting down before reversing the process on completion of the flight. Every sector ties together a wide range of tasks, set to the ever-changing environment of the sky and within the legal constraints of the air traffic system.

Yet, rather than sitting in wonder at the relative high rate of success in punctuality in this challenging setting, every single fault, delay and failing is magnified and ‘shared’. The pain becomes global and the misery of a delay is related with the venom of a jilted lover. The shared experience reminds every passenger of their horror flight and the snowball begins its journey.

Perception is reality to many and the cabin crew are sometimes seen as jotting between exotic destinations and that tolerating passengers is the bane of their existence. In reality, they are trained in safety and emergency procedures as their first priority and provide cabin service when those emergencies are not taking place. Again, they are easy targets. And on that same matter, those faceless voices that come from the flight deck rarely ever interact with their passengers. How arrogant and overpaid they are.

All the while, those passengers are strapping into smaller seat pitches with shrinking leg room and playing arm-rest chess with the stranger beside them. And now they have to turn off their phone? Their only ‘real’ link with their friends and the outside world. Passengers are customers, but they also have responsibilities and the need to comply. This era in which we live with simmering threats and security checks only adds to the pressure and crew must always be wary that an altercation may be a diversion for something more sinister. The tension in the passenger cabin is greater than ever before as the greater amount of baggage is not actually stowed under the floor.

The snowball now threatens to become an avalanche as we forget that we’re all in this together and crew can also have issues playing on their mind. Will the delay prevent them from getting home to their kids today? No-one wants to be late, off-loaded or the victim of a cancellation, but these things happen. Everyone, passengers and crew, can do a better job of communicating and taking a step back when tempers begin to fray, but increasingly conflict seems to be occurring. However, is that truly surprising considering the violence that is ‘shared’ on the internet and even live on social media? There are probably those out there who would actively provoke an altercation on board, phone in hand, just to have their five seconds of fame.

Air travel is not perfect – nothing is. However, the second best way of covering a sizeable distance is a good deal slower. It has been forgotten that air travel is a miracle of the modern age and it is seen as a cattle truck with wings. However, whether we are on an aircraft, in a shopping mall or walking down the street, we all need to look up from our phones and see faces. We all need to co-exist and show some tolerance to each other or the ugly scenes of recent weeks will not only be repeated, they can potentially grow in number. Not because passengers are looking for trouble or staff seek to be petulant, but because modern air travel increases the pressure of time and can impede our personal space. Friction is almost inevitable, but one would like to think that ignition is avoidable. All parties need to take a deep breath and a step back. These dreadful outcomes we are witnessing on board aircraft are nothing short of plane crazy.