Weeks of self-quarantine seem to allow one’s mind to wander toward happier and more simplistic times, so please indulge me for a moment.
Maybe some folks can remember the 1980s sci-fi movie classic, Back to the Future, where Marty McFly is transported thirty years back in time courtesy of Doc Brown’s flux capacitor equipped DeLorean.
His mission revolved around making certain that past events take place exactly as needed to ultimately result in the same quality of life from which he was transported.
Let’s suppose, for just a moment, that we ourselves have been transported thirty years back in time from when the aviation industry is prospering, aircraft are comfortably full of healthy, well cared for passengers, crewmembers and airport ground staff are utilizing state of the art PPE, and modern airport terminals are beehives of activity.
To draw an analogy from McFly’s trip back in time to our own COVID-19 dominated present, we find that our collective future as an industry is beginning to get hazy and some elements of what could have been are starting to slowly disappear just as in the movie.
It should be clear at this point in time, that if we don’t start to make significant and uncomfortable changes right now in our work-related processes and procedures, as well as the manner in which we in the aviation industry interact with each other, the clock tower will figuratively be struck by lightning before we have reached the target speed of 88 mph.
Please allow these words to act as an industry-wide Call to Action. We have heard from government, corporate, and business leaders on what they are doing at their level to minimize the effects of COVID-19 on the global aviation industry.
However, I strongly believe that the key to our future success will come not from the Board Room, but from front-line staff. I think we need to hear your thoughts on what we can do, today, so as ensure that the present does not become our future.
Please stay safe!