Introduction
The aviation industry has undergone many changes in recent years to enhance its service provision across all sectors. Several advanced technologies have been implemented in this field, maximizing customer experience and safety in commercial flights. Plans are in place for the airline business to grow and expand further in the future due to the new technological ideas that have been developed.
Robotic use in aviation is becoming a common trend due to its efficiency and effectiveness. Robotic process automation (RPA) is rampant today and has dramatically impacted the airline industry. Due to its enormous benefits in aviation, most manual laborers are likely to lose their sources of income.
As a remedy, airlines must train their workers to get equipped with the needed knowledge, thus preventing unemployment. This white paper discusses the impact of automation on aviation and human capital management in the coming years and the possible solutions to the negative experiences likely to be encountered. With flight computerization, the requirement of human interference is getting reduced faster, drastically affecting the operators’ jobs.
Impact of Aviation Automation and the Effects on Human Capital
Automation is the new face of life that needs to be embraced in all industrial situations to enhance productivity. Artificial intelligence allows businesses to take advantage of the benefits of its usage to remain relevant, profitable, and competitive in the larger market (Degas et al., 2022). Many aviation industries include American Airlines, Ryanair, Qatar Airways, and Emirates (Degas et al., 2022). They constantly upgrade new technology to offer improved services to their customers while making traveling safe for everyone.
The main benefits attained from the introduction of mechanics in the airlines include cost savings, revenue optimization, increased scalability, optimized operations, and quality service provision (Degas et al., 2022). Air traffic management has been simplified, and management methods derived. As new technology is expected to be introduced, plans must be implemented to manage human capital in the new world. New challenges are also experienced, which need proper intervention to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Automation in the Airline Industry
The Flight department has been growing due to the incorporation of mechanization. Various processes in this field are going through automation, increasing their effectiveness. The benefits outweigh the shortcomings; thus, indicating their introduction is vital.
According to Banks et al. (2019), a perfect example of the benefits is the computerization of air traffic control systems. With this, the weather conditions are easily detected, thus reducing the possibility of air crashes and collisions. Wagner (2019) states that for the future performing of dynamic and highly complex tasks with ease, all airlines need to embrace automation.
Mechanization in the operations process is crucial and has become the number one focus of airline service providers who aim to integrate different onboard technologies (Beresnevicius, 2019). Most flights consider human factors, flight management systems, and pilot and computer interfaces (Beresnevicius, 2019). It is now possible to autopilot, thus reducing fatigue, and have automated warnings that help the pilot check and monitor the aircraft from within the cockpit.
Air Traffic Management
Air traffic management (ATM) is the dynamic guidance of air traffic and airspace, thus regulating the flow of aircraft to limit accidents. It is facilitated by air traffic control based on the ground and directs the planes through a given section of controlled airspace. Air traffic services (ATS) ensure safe and orderly traffic flow while providing necessary information to the flight crew in an emergency (Degas et al., 2022).
The main objective of the ATS is to prevent accidents that are always severe. Radar technology is highly applied in ATMs to facilitate aircraft tracking and know their real-time location, thus making it easy to promote safety (Degas et al., 2022). Apart from airplane control, automation is also used in industry management.
Robotic Process Automation
The aviation industry also uses robotic process automation (RPA). RPA involves using programmed software machines to robotize some functions within the industry, such as ticket sales, air traffic control, client service provision, and airport management (Eshghi, 2022). Airline companies partner with more than one international agency that conducts the process of selling tickers. As a result, the invoices presented come in different formats that can be tiresome or have many errors if performed manually (Eshghi, 2022).
Bots can be used to reformat invoices, thus making the process much easier and more effective. Cabin crew scheduling is also relatively a challenge due to the selection criteria. Bots can assign and schedule tasks among the many crew members based on their contracts, experience, and availability (MOS, 2023).
This will help prevent any delays and enhance regulatory compliance. The bots can send automated notifications, ensuring each crew member knows their designated role. The technology faces some issues and challenges despite being vital in the airline industry.
Issues and Challenges
The air traffic control centers face some issues related to introducing new technology. Control towers face space constraints due to the additional displays added to facilitate air control (Degas et al., 2022). When technology limits the operators’ space, then a human factor problem is experienced. A solution to this is encompassing an operational facility design that covers all the new equipment.
Human acceptance of automation is also a challenge and may inhibit its usage. When the passengers, pilots, or regulators have no faith in the technology, it may never reach its full potential. Complexity is also an issue, especially for air traffic controllers, as they must be accurate in decision-making. At least three years are designated to train air traffic controllers, thus equipping them with the necessary skills for proper judgment (Degas et al., 2022). There is a growing need to manage employees due to the recent trends brought about by technology.
Managing Human Capital
Airline service providers are experiencing many benefits, including better awareness of the satiation and lower operating costs, as computers, not humans, do most tasks. The work of many aircraft administrators will be taken as a result of the new technologies introduced in the aircraft industry. Most operators’ work will shift from performers to observers (Raimi, 2021). The implications of mechanization on employment occur in two phases: the loss and creation of job opportunities (Cherry, 2020).
Di Giacomo and Lerch (2022) state that the individuals most likely to suffer job losses due to flight robotization are the less educated. The category is often employed in routine occupations that a robot can perform. Consequently, job creation requires specific skills that will facilitate the interaction of humans and machines (Di Giacomo & Lerch, 2022). Adopting flight mechanization technologies is shaping the future of labor markets by creating new job occupations.
Human Resource Challenges in the Airline Industry
The airline industry’s human resource (HR) department faces varying challenges. The issues include increased outsourced jobs, recruitment of skilled personnel, and handling employee strikes and disagreements (Harvey & Turnbull, 2020). Outsourced work has increased since the airlines lack adequate resources and personal tools to facilitate some activities.
HR uses this approach as a cost-cutting tool, leading to decreased HR personnel (Harvey & Turnbull, 2020). Through it, a specific task is only paid for when needed. Outsourcing is not limited to information technology alone; it includes engineering, cleaning, and fiscal services (Harvey & Turnbull, 2020). Airline companies avoid employing permanent workers and only outsource when needed.
The introduction of technology has revolutionized the airline industry in all aspects. Mechanization can facilitate the flying of an airplane more accurately than any human. Robotics appeals to many human weaknesses and exposes the limitations experienced by man (Georgia Today, 2021). However, this exposure facilitates creativity in overcoming the setback.
The primary factor promoting the adoption of automation technologies is decreasing the errors men commit (Alshurideh et al., 2019). As more technology is introduced, companies must recruit qualified personnel to handle the much more advanced robotics applied in the industry (Harvey & Turnbull, 2020). The previously employed workers will likely lose their work if they lack the required expertise in handling the new automation.
Pilots with experience in handling modern aircraft are much more likely to get employment than the ones who are only conversant with old technology. Consideration can only be made if they engage in refreshing courses to gain new insight into the changes introduced. The loss of jobs or pay reduction will likely lead to strikes, affecting the industry’s productivity.
Effects of Automation
Like any other innovation, aviation mechanization brings disadvantages that, if not countered appropriately, can be catastrophic. Some employees will likely lose their jobs, while others will probably be employed to oversee robotics (Alshurideh et al., 2019). Machines take over some tasks traditionally performed by humans at a much cheaper investment and perform exemplary. As a result, the affected people may be forced to relocate and look for new jobs or upgrade their skill sets to be employable in other departments.
Robotics in aviation is highly considered since humans are poor monitors and are vulnerable to stress, distractions, illness, boredom, and complacency (Meissner et al., 2021). However, over-reliance on machines is discouraged as it can be catastrophic when it fails and no intervention is made.
Apart from taking away work, automation creates new ones requiring specific skills (Meissner et al., 2021). Managing this sought experience can only be achieved when the airlines adopt measures such as employee training. Pilots are occasionally guided on how to navigate a plane and oversee the flight management system that enables monitoring of the flight process. The process is made possible through continuous training offered to the employees.
Proposed Solution
Since establishing the first HR, the department has progressed significantly. The future of human capital management is expected to reflect the rising emphasis on mechanization in all industries (Li & Pilz, 2023). Automation will help the airline industry’s HR adopt new approaches. Enhancing personal skills in various areas crucial to the aviation profession’s success is highly advisable. The proposed solutions to the estimated unemployment in the future include embracing automation, training, and companies focusing on the importance of physical workers (Li & Pilz, 2023). Artificial intelligence can destroy jobs while adding additional ones, and it is the people’s and industries’ responsibility to adapt to the changes and know how to use the available resources.
Embracing Technology
Changes in the industries are already in progress, with many airlines adopting robotics daily. Millennials, who are the majority of employees, are already accustomed to the alterations by mechanization (Cherry, 2020). Technology must be embraced to meet the digital customer experience Generation Z desires in the coming years (Li & Pilz, 2023). New introductions need to be made as mechanization advances in all fields. Through this, change is accepted on all fronts as it is inevitable.
Training Employees
Human intervention is expected, primarily when an automation malfunction occurs in airplane navigation. As a result, aeronautics needs to consider the manual operation of the flights (Raimi, 2021). Despite embracing autopilot, the traditional airplane mode should be considered. Pilots should be fully educated on handling an aircraft when it fails to operate normally (Meissner et al., 2021). The presence of an engineer is crucial when flying, primarily when the integrated technology detects a potential malfunction, as they are the ones to correct the errors (Di Flumeri et al., 2019).
Technology provides operators with the needed knowledge to respond to new issues arising from automation integration (Nunes, 2021). Performance measurement and training should be done to limit and prevent potential setbacks that may lead to plane accidents that are always catastrophic (Beresnevicius, 2019). Flight crew attendants need training on the new integrated technology to facilitate easy coordination with the machines (Di Flumeri et al., 2019). With additional study, the required skills that enable understanding the new automation will be presented.
Focusing on People
Digital technologies in airline operations have improved business processes but can not perform all tasks. Flight attendants require a physical person, not a robot, to enhance communication with passengers. Cabin crew devices within the plane can be connected to ground members, thus improving communication between the two groups (McGaughey, 2021). Despite their being robotics in use, there is still a need for employees to manage them to realize their efficiency in upgrading passenger service. Excellent customer care can not be provided only with technology; it will need the incorporation of professionals.
There is a need for airline companies to invest in retraining and upskilling programs (McGaughey, 2021). It will help the workers develop new skills, thus enabling them to remain employable. There will be no need to terminate their jobs and employ new workers. The automation industry is expected to grow, hence the need for new developments and improvements (Nunes, 2021). In turn, more jobs will be created as some manual work will be taken by technology.
Conclusion
The introduction of robotics in aviation has been rising in recent years. Technology has made flying easier, faster, and more convenient with few setbacks experienced. Through its use, air traffic management has been simplified and made much more accessible and practical. New technologies bring new challenges that need to be learned to be understood. RPA brings forth new ways of handling formally manually performed tasks such as job designation and invoice preparation through bots.
Robotics expose human weaknesses and the limitations they express when handling some charges. They are much more accurate than humans, although they experience some technical difficulties that propagate the intervention of human beings. With the mechanization of many aspects of the aviation industry, most individuals have lost, and others are expected to lose more jobs.
Also, there is the creation of new opportunities that require specific skills. The proposed solutions to the identified shortcomings include embracing manual aircraft control in case of malfunctions, performance measurement, and further personnel training. Unemployment can be prevented if airlines retrain and upskill their current employees who get displaced due to automation.
References
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