Engaging consumers in interactive marketing communication is instrumental in business-customer relationships building and development. Social media enables consumers to initiate marketing messages ...and gain growing control in the communication process due to its enhanced interactivity features. This study investigates whether communication between businesses and their social media users is interactive and how interactive it is. It also attempts to determine what types of messages are more likely to result in interactive communication. The findings reveal that businesses are attempting functional interactivity while individual users are increasingly securing a control to achieve contingent interactivity. Businesses are adopting a consumer-centric approach in designing and executing marketing communication messages to achieve interactivity though significant variance is established between businesses as measured by Interactivity Performance Matrix. Challenges remain for businesses as to how to engage their customers by utilizing the interactivity features of social media to facilitate relationships formulation and development.
This study designed and conducted a survey to examine the safety climate of the flight crew of an Asia-Pacific airline. The survey instrument collected responses of flight crew to a list of ...statements deemed relevant to their safety climate. Exploratory factor analysis identified and confirmed four safety related themes covering 15 survey items, which were named Safety Feedback, Confidence in Safety Reporting System, Company Safety Philosophy, and Safety Promotion & Communication. The survey results showed that a majority of participants responded positively to statements captured by these four themes, indicating a generally healthy safety climate within the airline. Statistical analyses also revealed that pilots of lower ranks and shorter employment experience with the company generally were more positive about the safety climate than senior pilots. Comments provided by flight crew confirmed findings of quantitative analysis, and also identified key areas to improve the overall safety culture of the company.
•A survey instrument was designed to study the safety climate of commercial pilots.•Safety climate of the pilots of the subject airline was found to be generally healthy.•Junior pilots were found to have more positive safety perceptions of the airline.•Safety feedback was the key area that the airline should focus on.•Pilots did not indicate a preference about whom to report a safety occurrence to.
Liberalisation of air traffic management (ATM) through tendering of airport air traffic control services has occurred in selective countries. While there have been a few studies which have analysed ...the theoretical concepts of competition to provide ATM services, there has been limited evaluation of the experience of liberalisation on an individual country basis. Using secondary data from literature and primary data collected from interviews, this research reviews the experience of introducing competition in airport ATC services, using the experience in Spain as a case study. The study investigates barriers that hinder the development of an effectively competitive market structure and pro-competition policies to reduce them. The study finds that introducing competition in airport air traffic control is a complex process. In Spain, efficiency benefits have been achieved without compromising safety and economic regulation of the larger liberalised airports has been avoided. Access to qualified air traffic controllers is a critical barrier to the introduction of competition in airport air traffic control services in part related to the complex licence conditions which are unique to specific airports and functions.
•Review of economic regulation and policy of liberalising monopoly industries.•Barriers to introducing competition in airport air traffic control services are explored.•Reduced mobility of air traffic controllers across service providers is examined.•Effects of liberalisation on market performance and policies to reduce barriers to competition reviewed.•Case study of liberalisation of airport air traffic control in Spain.
The regulatory governance of two government-owned, commercialised, monopoly air navigation service providers in Australian and New Zealand is assessed. Economic oversight by an independent regulator ...in Australia is compared to self-regulation in New Zealand. The Stern and Holder (1999) evaluation framework is applied and user assessments are considered. Both models meet the attributes of sound regulatory governance in most respects. Significant changes in the industry environment indicate that regulatory governance should be reassessed, including with regard to linkages between price regulation and service delivery.
•Self-regulation of air traffic management is compared to independent regulation.•Theories of regulatory governance and new governance applied to case studies.•Case studies of air traffic management provision in Australia and New Zealand.•Self-regulation and independent regulation meet good governance criteria.•Environmental changes suggest regulatory frameworks need review.
Destination collaboration is deemed critical for tourism recovery, particularly after periods of crisis like COVID-19. This paper explores destination-based tactics and collaborations when pursuing ...air services. An online database and interviews with industry practitioners reveals that "market research and intelligence", "collaboration and relationship building", and "administrative support and regulatory compliance guidance" are practiced but not documented in the extant literature. Destination organizations including airports, government agencies, tourism authorities, and travel trade businesses make distinctive contributions, and smaller airports engage closely with the travel trade. Our findings extend the application of stakeholder theory to the field with more empirical evidence and address shortcomings in air service development interpretations. A more comprehensive definition of air service development has also been proposed.
The growth of the air transport industry has been accompanied by various crises including aircraft incidents and accidents, terrorist attacks, and pandemics such as COVID-19. These crises to a great ...extent affect air travelers' motivation, which in turn affects the air travel demand that justifies airlines' legitimate existence and sustainability. However, there has been relatively little research into understanding air travelers' motivation during and after such crises, despite some studies having been conducted in the tourism domain to understand the motivation of tourists to travel to specific destinations. An enhanced knowledge in this field is important and would benefit the airline industry, which is facing increasing competition from other transportation modes as well online conferencing technologies. By applying the Push and Pull Factor model, this study has sought to identify the travel motivation and further determine whether Push factors have any positive influence on Pull factors. To this end, 760 questionnaires were collected from Taiwan. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. Our findings reveal that the Destination image remains the most influential Pull factor, while Aviation-specific products and services is the least attractive Pull factor. Self-realization/achievement topped the rankings for the Push factors, while Flying experience was a selling point in its own right among the Push factors, although it was not as appealing as anticipated. The millennium generation, fewer frequent flyers and low-income consumers are more likely to take advantage of flying deals. This paper suggests that a more collaborative approach between airlines, airports and destination organizations could be adopted to design and promote tailor-made aviation and travel products to stimulate segmented consumers’ demand for air travel during crises. Effective marketing strategies need to be in place to promote the specially-designed travel products.
•Push and Pull model applied to identify factors affecting air travellers' motivation during pandemic.•Destination image is most influential.•Flying experience and aviation specific product and service is less effective.•Segments with certain demographic features have strongest desire to fly.•Collaborative marketing strategies and tailor-made products could be devleoped.
In the United States, between 1995 and 2013, night-time visual flight rules (VFR) Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) fatal accidents mostly encountered adverse weather, and pilots with <6 yr ...of HEMS experience showed higher likelihood of a night operational accident. One adverse weather indicator is cloud-ceiling likelihood indicated by temperature dew point spread (TDPS). This study investigated the relationship between TDPS and HEMS pilot years of experience. It was hypothesized pilots with <6 yr HEMS experience were associated with fatal outcomes encountered at lower TDPS.
Between 1995 and 2013, 32 single pilot night VFR HEMS fatal accidents occurring in the United States, caused by controlled flight into terrain or loss of control, were analyzed. Using Federal Aviation Administration weather guidance, the 0-4°C TDPS was selected as an indicator of cloud ceiling. Each flight's TDPS was analyzed with pilots' HEMS domain task experience.
There were 27 flights which entered the 0-4°C TDPS range; 20 (74%) were significantly associated with adverse weather. A significant negative linear relationship was found between TDPS of each mission and years of pilot HEMS experience (r = -0.423, P = 0.028). Pilots with <6 yr of experience were significantly associated with fatal outcomes (P = 0.049).
Pilots' incremental years of HEMS experience were associated with a TDPS decrement. Fatal outcomes were over nine times higher for pilots with <6 yr of HEMS experience in night VFR operational accidents in those conditions. Interventions for <6-yr pilots are recommended during experience building to prevent likelihood of operational accidents.Aherne BB, Zhang C, Chen WS, Newman DG. Pilot decision making in weather-related night fatal helicopter emergency medical service accidents. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(9):830-836.
In the United States, the proportion of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) fatal accidents remained unchanged despite an overall decreasing accident rate. Previous research showed night HEMS ...operations influenced fatal outcomes. Pilots with <6 yr of HEMS domain task experience (low-DTE) had a higher likelihood of a night operational accident in conditions associated with adverse weather. This study sought to determine whether a difference existed between day and night fatal accident rates and identify influences contributing to night fatal HEMS accidents. Any risk factors identified will be used for a risk analysis to inform future operational safety of the night visual flight rule (VFR) HEMS transport system.
Historical accident data and industry hours were obtained. Both pilot DTE groups (low and high) and mission VFR and instrument flight rule (IFR) capability were identified using data from 32 night VFR operational fatal HEMS accidents. Accidents were stratified by loss of control and controlled flight into terrain, pilot DTE, and flight rule capability. The effectiveness of both DTE groups and both flight rule capabilities were measured using system safety risk analysis techniques.
Night fatal accident rates were statistically different from daytime. Low-DTE pilots and the VFR capability combination had the highest likelihood of night operational nonsurvivable accident.
Low-DTE pilots and the VFR capability were the least effective mission combination to avoid hazardous conditions at night and maintain spatial orientation, respectively. The analysis identified measures to reduce likelihood of night fatal operational accidents.
Adverse weather and poor visual cues are common elements in night-time Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations contributing to spatial disorientation and fatal accidents. Pilots are ...required to make weather-related preflight risk assessments to accept or reject a flight. This study's aim was to develop predictive risk assessment tools based on historical accident data to assist the decision-making process.
We analyzed 32 single-pilot HEMS night-time visual flight rules fatal accidents to identify contributory risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop prediction nomograms for nonvisual meteorological conditions (non-VMC), cause and nonsurvivable accidents as dependent variables. Risk factors such as temperature dew point spread, elevation difference, and years of HEMS pilot experience, were entered as continuous variables. Flight crew composition, pilot DTE (domain task experience) and flight rule capability, primary missions, and temperature dew point spread were entered as categorical variables. A point scoring matrix transposed model probability to likelihood and consequence severity.
The nomograms correctly predicted the likelihood of entering non-VMC, accident cause, and sustaining a nonsurvivable accident in 75%, 55%, and 94% of cases, respectively. Using data from a recent nonsurvivable HEMS accident, the nomogram estimated a 92% probability (Very Likely) of nonsurvivable accident if visual cues were lost.
These nomograms can provide preflight information to predict the likelihood of adverse safety outcomes occurring during a planned HEMS mission. While further development work is needed, this approach has the potential to improve HEMS operational safety.
