Watching the Crew: Commercial Aircraft Operations and the Surveillance of Pilots before and after MH370

Abstract

The disappearance of flight MH370 drew attention to some of the deficiencies of current surveillance technologies used to track aircraft. This article links these deficiencies to systemic controversies surrounding several aspects of aircraft surveillance that also includes the monitoring of pilots’ drug and alcohol use and the gathering of flight data from the cockpit. I argue that the debate around aircraft surveillance began over a decade earlier, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Prior to 9/11, regulators, management, and pilots worked together in a model where thorough investigations would take place after every incident. Measured changes in policy that were satisfactory to all three parties would subsequently be recommended and implemented. I conclude that pilot discontent over regulatory decisions has translated into a host of undesirable outcomes, including less trust in the procedures and lower morale. Only through transparent negotiation can the trust between pilots, management, and regulators be restored.