The skies might not be clear, but passengers’ minds surprisingly are.
A robust majority of American travelers are unfazed by a noticeable spate of recent sky-high airline drama — most notably a door plug blowing off an Air Alaska flight in January — based on a recent survey by the Associated Press.
Despite those and other alarming incidents, 71% of respondents said at the tip of January that they feel air travel is either very or somewhat secure, whereas only 60% said the identical for bus travel.
Just 12% felt flying was unsafe.
All that confidence belies frightening events including two JetBlue flights that got right into a fender bender while on the bottom at Boston Logan International Airport and an American Airlines flight that skidded off a runway in Rochester.
Nevertheless, when it got here to confidence in federal agencies to take care of safety within the skies, only 62% put their faith in governmental bodies.
As for opinions about pilots, 84% of respondents expressed confidence that captains of the sky would down without issues, together with 81% who said air traffic controllers would guide them safely along the way in which.
Plane manufacturers received a 71% vote of consumer confidence, and a detailed 67% felt planes “are secure from structural faults.”
That comes as the main plane maker Boeing has been in hot water over the Air Alaska incident, in addition to a cracked windshield that caused a United flight to make an emergency landing and a passenger who recently filmed a Boeing 787 with duct tape on its wings.
The info also comes after an industry report’s stark warning that the airline business is sure for turbulent times ahead and that disruptions will change into a “recent normal.”
“In 2022 airlines struggled with supply and staffing issues, but during 2023, airlines and their partners are simply facing an unprecedented return of demand,” said Harry Grewal, the director of infrastructure and customer experience for the International Air Transport Association.
“In fact, that’s very welcome, but it surely brings its own operational challenges.”
