Nobody has outright said it, nobody has
even written it, but this is a make-or-break time for the aviation industry in
this country.
The airlines have to improve this
holiday season, or they risk their future.
The accumulation of goodwill can only last
so long.
The airlines can ill afford a repeat of
Christmas of 2022 and the meltdown, specifically from Southwest Airlines. The
carrier had around 16,000 flights canceled and was just fined a record $140
million for its issues from a year ago. That's on top of losing almost $2
billion for its technology problems.
Southwest is lucky it has such a loyal and
dedicated customer base.
Now, it’s generally agreed that airlines
have no control over the weather, and stormy conditions were undoubtedly a
factor in last year's breakdown. However, some airlines, particularly Southwest,
certainly contributed to the problems with technological shortcomings.
The future of the aviation industry is at
stake because people aren’t going to keep taking this year after year.
To be fair, the airlines did gain some
credibility back with an almost flawless performance during Thanksgiving. In
the face of overwhelming travel demand, including a one-day record reported by
the Transportation Security Administration for passengers processed, the
airlines emerged relatively unscathed.
In some respects, airlines need to be like
baseball umpires. Seen and not heard. But, fair or unfair, the problem is
magnified beyond belief when an issue arises. But sometimes it is deserved.
The 2022 meltdown was a wake-up call.
And it’s not just the airlines.
Congress must get its act together and
adequately fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before something
tragic happens. Something far worse than a loss of confidence and reputation.
The airlines need to perform exceedingly well during this holiday season and
instill some faith in the flying public.
They need to do it under the duress of the
holiday season.
Perhaps that's the biggest thing at stake
here.
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