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This year will see the continued transition or changes of government and agency leadership positions in many countries. There will be a new FAA Administrator to succeed Mike Whitaker, new government leaders in Canada, the European Commission, the UK and U.S. as well as in many South American and Asian countries. In most cases, that means new heads of transportation departments and agencies.
Change can be a difficult prospect for humans, but it also brings fresh perspectives and energy, new ideas and opportunities.
Air transport is also an exciting industry sector in which to be a leader and decision-maker. It’s global, involves high technology and is an important driver of economies and wealth, local and national.
But that is also where potential risks and traps lie. Most people who achieve high places in governments and agencies are also, or have been, frequent flyers. And there’s a temptation to equate knowledge as an airline passenger with an understanding of how the airline business works. That is a misperception: naive at best; dangerous at worst.
The global commercial air transport system is highly complex and interconnected, necessarily subject to an enormous set of safety and security regulations and requirements, extremely expensive, and notoriously difficult to achieve profitability. It is also vulnerable to circumstances completely outside the industry’s control—such as pandemics, wars, and terrorist attacks—that can instantly require the suspension or reduction of services (and revenue) and kill demand for air travel, at least temporarily.
What this industry has demonstrated repeatedly through these types of “black swan” events, however, is a remarkable ability to come through and keep growing. That is typically through a mix of the will of people, who want or need to fly for personal or business reasons, the smarts and dedication of those who work in this industry, and, in many but not all cases, government support.
Incoming air transport leaders on the government and agency side should, therefore, tread lightly and wisely in their new roles. They should take time to understand the air transport system and the how and why it operates the way it does. That understanding should be at local, national, and international levels because almost all airlines (and airports) must factor those dimensions into their operations. The airlines, airports, and suppliers are good starting points to gain that knowledge, but industry associations and organizations that include AAPA, AACO, AAFRA, ACI, A4A, A4E, IATA, and ICAO are excellent sources.
When it comes to support, topping the list will be constructive regulatory assistance in meeting aviation sustainability and decarbonization goals. Government leaders should feel good about very publicly getting behind aviation’s green initiatives, but they should be in no doubt that airlines cannot do all the work alone. Government policies that encourage the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable fuels (that will benefit many other industries besides aviation), the building of biofuel plants, and the end of the dreadful waste of fuel and splurging of CO2 through outdated and inefficient air traffic control systems are urgently needed.
There’s plenty of work ahead. Be informed and proceed purposefully and wisely.
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