In light of the numerous aviation accidents that occurred in the past year, The Blue and Gold asked a number of students whether these accidents affected their opinion on air travel and specific airlines.
“It hasn’t really changed what I think of the airlines, since I believe most of what happened to them were out of their control.” – Munir S. (12)
“Aviation accidents are inevitable, but perhaps high cost could guarantee better safety. I rarely leave Taiwan, and I probably won’t board Malaysia Airlines or Air Asia because safety, as indicated by safety records, is top priority for me.” – Albert C. (11)
“Well, we still need to travel with planes, so I guess just pray before the flight starts.” –Johnson T. (9)
“Although I cannot directly condemn the airline for these accidents, they certainly discouraged me from choosing to fly with these airlines. However, it has not changed my perception of flight as I am still comfortable with traveling on a plane.” – Cindy H. (12)
“The aviation accidents that have occurred in the past year have definitely made me more cautious on selecting which airline to fly with. I won’t be flying on any of the airlines [involved in a crash] anytime soon!” – Sarah C. (9)
“Although I’m not very knowledgeable of the specifics of the accidents, I know that aviation accidents happen at one in a billionth chance. Because of the extremely low possibility, I don’t believe the numerous aviation accidents will ever hinder me from flying on whatever airline I usually take – though I sometimes do get a bit nervous.” – Rachel L. (10)