Travel, Health & Equality
Last year was a great time to travel but 2020 may tell a different story
Life keeps flowing, but, so far, 2020 hasn’t brought any good news yet. This could be the year we must face our shortcomings and hopefully head in a better direction. This week, Boeing announced that their inspectors found fuel-tank debris in two-thirds of stored 737 MAX Jets. “It does not take a rocket scientist to deliver an airplane without trash and debris on it,” Air Force Procurement Chief Will Roper said in an interview in June. No, it doesn’t. It takes a culture change. As one of the leading aerospace companies, their business should be less about cornering the market and more about recognizing their responsibility. We asked people what they expect from their favorite aircraft manufacturers. The answer is the same: safety and innovation. Tools, rags and boot coverings have no place in a fuel tank. Still, reporting the incident transparently is a step in the right direction. It appears as the new management takes the required change seriously. I am sure they will clean the debris before they deliver the planes, but how the 737 MAX wiring issue will get resolved is yet to be seen.
Ryanair thinks the 737 Max woes could delay their growth plan by up to two years, but airplane deliveries are not their only problem. Airlines boss Michael O’Leary criticized airport security checks for not targeting Muslim males harshly enough, as he believes the only way to make the world a safer place is more racial profiling. Reportedly, “Thirty years ago it was the Irish” he goes on before taking aim at the need for wheelchair-friendly facilities, mocking transgender people and criticizing Greta Thunberg. This reminds me of an old joke: “I am not a racist, I hate everybody equally”. After this incident a Ryanair spokesperson tried to gain sympathy with the following statement: “Michael was only calling for more effective airport security checks which would do away with much of the unnecessary queues at airport security today for all passengers”. I don’t think we should support racism to be more comfortable.
In 2018 there were 1.4 billion international tourists roaming around the world. This is one billion more people compared to 90’s. While global tourism has been hitting record highs for the past two years, 2020 may tell a different story. With the emergence of Covid-19, many countries are taking heat for not managing the health crises effectively. Cruise ships are not a romantic place to be right now, and it looks like this won’t be the tourism industry’s best year.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases keep increasing in South Korea and Iran while Italy locked down ten towns. Panicking doesn’t help anybody, but neither does seeing the epidemic as somebody else’s problem. It’s time for every country to lay down a solid strategy about how to deal with the situation. The best way to leave these health crises behind is to cooperate at a global scale. Unfortunately, there are a string of racist attacks on Asians. We can’t let a virus define our humanity. We are better than this.
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