air traffic has continued to increase and it now constitutes a considerable proportion of the travelling public. The amount of long-hour flights has increased significantly. Based on the International Civil Aviation authority, air traffic can be anticipated to double amid till 2020. Airline travel, especially over longer distances, makes air travelers vulnerable to numerous facets that will impact their health and well-being. Particularly, the speed with which influenza spreads and mutates, via transportation routes, is the reason why the influenza pandemic is considered to be a huge threat to the human population. Pandemic is a term, which is used for a virus or microbe when it spreads over a large area, in severe cases even the whole world and large number of people start getting affecting by it (CDC, 2009).In the past 300 years, there have been ten significant influenza pandemics outbreaks that have taken place in this world. The greatest outbreak among these ten is the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic because of which around 30% of the world's population got infected and from among those 50 to 100 million people died. The main reason behind the Spanish Flu's quick spread was the modern and advance transportation system which started providing the global coverage in the 20th century, because of this not only the infected people were able to get to different parts of the world thus spreading the virus but the railway and shipment crew got extremely sick as well, and they picked up the virus from not only the infected passengers but also the infected places that they travelled to (CDC, 2009).
It is being considered by the experts that some other pandemic might occur again and it would cause a lot of havoc as the transportation system has become so advanced now. The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) that spread in 2002- 2003 and later on in 2009 the Swine Flu that spread so quickly because of the global air travel system, it is now being considered that the next pandemic might cause a lot of damage to the human population (CDC, 2009).
Researchers have consistently highlighted two major factors that play a critical role in the relationship between pandemic outbreaks and the transportation system. The first one is the role of a vector that is played by the transportation. As, now-a-days quick and effective air travel has become very common, the infectious diseases can easily spread through this transportation. Researchers note that the passenger air travel system can cause this spread more effectively than any other system. Therefore the air travel can be called a vector in case of pandemic. Other researchers point out that the air transportation has been observed as a vector that spreads the pandemic in its early stages (CDC, 2009).
The second factor is the continuation of the distribution of freight, which is also a cause of concern. In today's economic world it is not possible to carry out the activities without the continuous delivery of food, electricity, fuel and other resources. Therefore, some events that can cause hindrance in the delivery and transportation of such items can cause a lot more problems than a pandemic (CDC, 2009).
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors, which place airports and airlines at risk of spreading communicable diseases. Secondly, this paper studies the behavioral changes in the aviation workforce and air travelers during a pandemic outbreak. Lastly, this paper also investigates steps taken by U.S. institutions, both public and private, to minimize pandemic outbreak threats and maximize standard behavioral patterns in the aviation workforce and air travelers during a pandemic outbreak.
Research Questions
The aforementioned research questions can be transformed into the following research questions:
1. What puts airports and airlines at risk of spreading communicable diseases?
2. What behavioral changes take place in the aviation workforce and air travelers during a pandemic outbreak?
3. What steps have been taken by U.S. institutions to minimize pandemic outbreak threats and maximize standard behavioral patterns in the aviation workforce and air travelers during a pandemic outbreak?
Significance of the Study
This study carries significant value for the Department of Transportation and airline businesses associated with it.
1) The findings of this study can expand the knowledge about emergency preparedness during pandemic outbreaks.
2) It can provide valuable data, which...
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