On August 23, 2008, Air Canada decided on a new initiative to save fuel and operating costs - by taking out the life jackets off their airplanes, including planes that fly over water. Because of rising fuel prices, with most airline companies in the Americas operating at a net loss of millions of dollars, airlines have been desperate to save any amount of money possible. Canadian law allows airlines to just carry flotation devices as long as they are operating within 50 nautical miles of land. Jazz has altered some routes along the east coast to meet this requirement. This occurred at the height of the oil crisis, when oil was near its record price of $147.47 USD per barrel. By ditching the life jackets and using just the flotation devices, airlines lighten their planes by about 500 grams each, and therefore save operating costs. This is the latest effort to make up for the then-rising fuel costs, which had doubled. Other attempts at reducing costs include a surcharge for meals, baggage, and pillows.
This decision has been critized by many experts. The little amount of weight of each life jacket barely saves the airlines any fuel at all. Also, the function of the life jacket and the flotation cushion is different. The life jacket keeps a person's head above water, preventing them from drowning. Since it is worn on the body, it keeps the person's head above water without any further support. However, a person has to hold on to the flotation device to stay above water. It is very difficult to hold onto a device if the water is very cold. The person can't hang on for very long until their fingers and arms will not respond. Tom Hinton, a former director on Canada's Transportation Safety Board, states that the cushion takes too long to remove from the seat. This will shorten the time a person has to get out of a falling plane. Because the passengers only have a few minutes to get out, it lessens their chance of survival. In short, this decision is a dangerous hazard to the safety of passengers.
I personally believe that this is a stupid decision. The priority of any airline is its passengers' safety, not to save money. If an airplane's engine fails and the plane crashes into water, it is very possible that many passengers will perish, especially if it is during winter, due to hypothermia. Even though a person would get exposed to the cold waters with a life jacket, the life jacket should, in theory, conserve a little bit of body heat. It can be the t This should be an ethical, not a business decision. Also, they can not possibly save much from this decision. If the passengers are killed due to their hands falling out of the cushions' straps, then the passengers' families will sue. The money the airlines lose will be much more than the money saved from using the flotation devices. Money for the airlines, as well as the lives of the passengers, is lost. In the end, no one wins. I think the life jackets should be put back onto the planes now, because fuel has fell so much now. It is also the smart, sensible, and safe thing to do. A company should do its best to ensure the safety of its customers. That's why I believe that taking out the life jackets is a stupid idea, and Jazz should put them back as soon as possible.
http://www.thestar.com/article/484113
1 comment:
I also agree with you that this is a very bad decision by Air Canada Jazz. I think that the safety of their customers should be their top priority, not the amount of money they are saving. Also I think that alot of people might not want to fly with them anymore since they have done this, in tern not saving them much money due to the fact that they will lose alot of business.
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