Aviation, emissions and the climate change debate

These are turbulent times for the aviation industry. Previously proudly bearing the mantle of nation-state icon by, and within, countries across the world (though arguably exemplified and exaggerated in Britain), we see everywhere the legacy of something which is symbolic, but also very real, tangible and present still: national pride. Perhaps reaching its zenith in the 1960s, we can see its traces throughout the industry and in the history books (Hudson 1972). We find it also across all the different ‘classes of agent’ which comprise the aviation sector – aircraft and components manufacturers, airline and airport operators, and air traffic controllers – such that it significantly contributes to a collective aviation psyche. For manufacturers, we see it in state-of-the-art aerospace engineering. For airlines: in the plane-tail livery of ‘national flagships’; for airports: in airy chandelier bedecked terminals; for pilots and crew: in passengers moving aside as smartly uniformed teams hurry by: hats and stripes, high heeled shoes, identical overnight trolleys: peacocks of national brands. What we might call the ‘clip-clop factor’. In sum it is captured in a word: status. Such symbols are important for underpinning a sense of collective self-identity and professional self-worth (Abbott 1988), yet gradually at first, and in recent years at an alarming, even accelerated rate, the basis of these iconic symbols have been undermined and challenged. The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks brought heightened security at airports and with it understandably longer, more rigorous, and unfortunately de-personalising security procedures and a newly anxious flying public. The ‘low cost’ or as we prefer ‘high volume’ business model changes the flying experience – more people equates to more crowded terminals, longer check-in queues and quicker flight turnarounds – into a discernibly different ‘service’ with corresponding shifts in service levels throughout the sector. This includes drastic changes to the working terms and conditions of aircrews. Into this mix we add the two latest and arguably most striking factors in terms of their structural significance for the sector as a whole: