Ethical Issues in the Aviation Industries

Ethics refer to the general rules and policies that govern people’s behavior. Ethics ensure that all human beings in any given social setting behave in a similar manner reason being, they share the same beliefs systems that will help them become better human beings. For any organization to offer quality standard services and products, they have to be governed by a set of ethical principles that will be applicable to everyone. This will make the employees as well as the employers can work to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves.

Ethics will therefore ensure that the organizations fulfill their social responsibilities not only to their clients but also the general public. Ethics in aviation and culture When ethics are made, they are made putting into consideration that they are meant to serve people with different cultures or ethnic backgrounds. The ethics that are formulated therefore are in line with various principles that are shared by most societies and therefore enhance the values that the society has instilled in people as good so as to mold them to become better persons as well as leaders.

The aviation industry just like all other industries strives to offer the best services and please its customers. To fulfill this important aspect, they will need to have a code of ethics which they will follow that will enable then to solve various problems that face the aviation industry. “Ethical principles provide a guide for organizations to use in decision making (Patankar, Brown & Treadwell, 2005). ” Some of the ethical principles that are relevant in the aviation industry include: o Respect Everyone is supposed to respect others just as they would like to be respected.

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Respecting others should be done without discrimination. People should therefore be treated equally without basing their feelings on other people’s culture, religious affiliations, race or even gender. Respect enhances other things like autonomy which requires people to make decisions that are based of facts so that a person would treat others just as they would like to be treated. o Non-maleficence Non-maleficence refers to the duty that professionals in any field especially have to wards their clients. They should not harm then in any way or put their lives at risk.

This will make them aware of the decisions they make so that they make sure when they do anything, they have the best interests of their clients at heart. o Beneficence Beneficence refers to promoting the good of others. This will be done if employees understand the business practices of the organization so that they can be able to offer the best services to customers. o Justice Justice is refers to giving others what they rightfully deserve. His is the provision of services that are worth what the customer has paid. People will be very disappointed if they spend huge sums of money only to be given substandard goods and services. o Honesty

Employees should always tell the truth at all times both to the people they serve, those they work with and their superiors. They should not intentionally deceive as they will mislead people and when the truth comes out as it will eventually do, such persons stand losing their jobs and the company will progress slowly as they will lose clients to their competitors. o Promise Promise entails honoring what people said they would accomplish that is honoring contracts. If and organization said that they would improve their services after a certain period, then when the time comes, the clients will be need to see the change being implemented.

In the aviation industry, all the mentioned principles are taken very seriously as they lay they basis for the codes of conduct that govern the diverse professionals in this field. For example, Aviation maintenance technicians, pilots, administrative staff, air hostesses, flight and ground instructors, examiners and inspectors, flight doctors among other people. The following are some of the ethical rules applicable to some of the personnel in the aviation industry to illustrate how the ethical principles apply to specific professions.

Aviation maintenance technicians Aviation maintenance technicians have a duty to ensure the safety of the public. They are supposed to act with integrity that is they should never put their personal gain above the people whom they have a professional responsibility over. Trust is a virtue that they should strongly uphold in the way they do their work so that to ensure that only the best services are given to the people. Since they are skilled in this area, they should exercise good judgment and not subject others to risk.

In addition to this, when they face challenges in their work, especially in areas that they do not know, they are not supposed to make rush decisions and should seek guidance from other qualified personnel. They are not supposed to give in to any superior requests to approve that a pane is fit for take off when they have doubt. In addition, they should not engage in any form of corruption. Pilot The passengers are every pilot’s first priority. Since they are in charge, they should always be sound and of good judgment so that they make proper decisions.

The way the pilot behaves both on and off work will reflect the perception and reputation of his profession and the organization they work for. For this reason, they should always engage in good social activities and they should have good interpersonal relationship. Moreover, they should work harder and continue to be knowledgeable as the profession requires of them. Without forgetting, “pilots must ensure that they are medically fit both physically and mentally when they report for duty therefore should hence should not engage in activities that will diminish the efficiency (Patankar, Brown & Treadwell, 2005)” Violating Ethics

The ethics also apply to the rules followed by carriers and operators and what aviation companies should do to prevent the entry of hazardous things within the airport facilities. If owners of such companies do not prevent the entry of such material, this will be seen as negligence therefore they will not have fulfilled their duty if safe guarding the passengers. “The law requires people in responsible positions to take care of others (Eichenberger, 1996). ” Negligence therefore is one of the consequences of breaking the ethics in place in the industry and when people are found neglecting their duties, they will be penalized.

Pilots can neglect some of their duties and pose a risk to people’s lives, the same goes for maintenance operators and other personnel when they assume they assume things in the line of duty. This is a result of not following the ethical guidelines therefore will be termed as a breach of duty towards their clients. Ethics in the aviation industry do not only apply to the personnel employed there but also to the people who teach aviation courses and the general industrial environment. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States is the body that makes the policies that are applicable in the aviation industry.

It also works in conjunction with other aviation bodies to come up with regulatory measures that create an enabling environment for the people in the Aviation industry. They offer advisory and guidance services to persons who want to engage in business so that they are aware of the risks that they will face. They give orders and notices on air traffic, the environment and airports and also publish the policies in handbooks and manuals so that people are constantly reminded of what is expected of them.

“Monitoring is a quality control program that enables FAA and other civil aviation authorities to access the performance of companies (Spence, 2006). ” The Aviation industry has not been left behind when it come to the usage of quality management systems to improve the services offered. For instance, FAA 8900. 1 FSIMS (Flight Standards Information Management System) sets the quality standards that companies in the business should strive to achieve so that they are considered the best in the business. Having such a quality standard boosts the image of the company and attracts new clients and investors.

In order to achieve this quality standard, employees need to follow the ethics of the industry and also in their organizations so that the rules set to acquire the standards can be achieved faster and efficiently. Conclusion Ethics have played very vital role in the aviation industry by shaping peoples behavior thus creating an environment where the customers needs are attended to and their concerns are addressed. Ethics have made the managers of such organizations easier as they provide the necessary steps and guidelines that are used to solve problems as well as make decisions in ways that are approved by everyone.

This makes it easier for organizations to deal with other firms within the country and also internationally. “Regulators aside from being enforcers also serve as collaborators (Patankar, Brown & Treadwell, 2005). ” The work of regulators and inspectors has also been enhanced as they have a base on which to justify the actions they take. To conclude, the responsibility of making sure the ethical principles work does not lie in the hands of the governing bodies but also the employees as well as the general public.

If everyone is committed to this course, then the aviation industry will uphold high ethical standards and everyone will be happy.

Reference:

Eichenberger J. A. (1996). General Aviation Law 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill Professional, 1996 p. 129, Patankar, S. M. , Brown, P. J. & Treadwell, D. M. (2005). Safety Ethics: Cases from Aviation, Healthcare, and Occupational and Environmental Health. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, p. 3, 63-7 Spence C. F. (2006). AIM/FAR 2007: Aeronautical Information Manual, Federal Aviation Regulations. 7th Ed. McGraw-Hill Professional p. 149

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