Synopsis:
Applied ethics has been gaining wide attention in a variety of curriculums, and there is growing awareness of the need for ethical training in general. Well-publicized ethical problems such as the Challenger disaster, the Ford Pinto case and the collapse of corporations such as Enron have highlighted the need to rethink the role of ethics in the workplace. The concept of applied ethics originated in medicine with a groundbreaking book published in 1979. Business ethics books began to appear in the 1980s, with engineering ethics following in the 1990s. This volume now opens up a new area of applied ethics, comprehensively addressing the ethical issues confronting the civil aviation industry. Aviation is unique in two major ways: firstly it has a long history of government regulations, and secondly its primary focus is the safety of its passengers and crew. For decades commercial aviation was viewed in the same manner as public utilities, and thus it was highly regulated by the government. Since the Deregulation Act of 1978, aviation has been viewed as any other business while other experts continue to believe that the sudden switch to deregulation has caused problems, especially since many airlines were unprepared for the change. "Ethical Issues in Aviation" focuses on current concerns and trends, to reflect the changes that have occurred in this deregulated era. The book provides the reader with an overview of the major themes in civil aviation ethics. It begins with theoretical frameworks, followed by sections on the business side of aviation, employee responsibility, diversity in aviation, ground issues regarding airports, air traffic control and security, as well as health and the environment. The contributors to the volume include both academics doing research in the field as well as professionals who provide accounts of the ethical situations that arise in the workplace.
Review:
'Ethical Issues in Aviation is an innovative and thought-provoking book that explores an important, but heretofore, neglected area of research. While the study of ethics has been applied in numerous other industries, its application to aviation is long overdue. For those who study aviation, this book is sure to provide multiple new perspectives on familiar issues. It was a treat to read about the business of aviation, safety, diversity, airport development, and environmental issues through an ethical lens.' Andrew R. Goetz , University of Denver, USA 'Pilots face ethical issues every day on and off the job. How much sleep is enough? Am I fit for duty? Do I write up this maintenance problem and delay the flight? Is this route of flight which skirts the edge of severe turbulence legal and safe? Do we take extra fuel and leave behind passengers and bags? In order to push back on-time what corners are cut? Add on top of this discrimination and contempt for women, and other tensions apply such as not being given all the information to make a decision, or the necessary training to perform correctly. Honesty, integrity, and morality play into all decisions. Elizabeth Hoppe's book and a course in ethics could benefit every pilot. As the first female pilot at Aloha Airlines in the late 1970s, discrimination, deliberately inadequate training, and bullying were the norm. Also, experiencing a commercial airline accident as the First Officer on Aloha Airlines Flight 243, I lived and observed first hand many of the issues discussed throughout this book. I had a hard time putting the book down and wanted more chapters when it ended. I highly recommend this book for all aviation employees.' Madeline "Mimi" Tompkins, First Officer, Hawaiian Airlines
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