IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v130y2023icp84-88.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Turbulent skies ahead? Pandemic related workforce issues in air transportation

Author

Listed:
  • Sobieralski, Joseph B.
  • Hubbard, Sarah M.

Abstract

This short topical issues paper focuses on the workforce issues facing the air transport industry in the post-pandemic landscape. We consider the extent of vaccine mandates and whether these mandates will introduce workforce issues for the global air transportation industry. Then we explore the extent of virus exposure and associated workforce disruptions due to sick calls and associated quarantine guidelines. We argue that vaccine mandates will have a limited impact on air transport in the near term but do not likely have an impact on the long-term workforce shortages expected in the industry. Conversely, employee illness will have a more significant impact in the near and long-term as variants spread and airline scheduling adjusts both tactically and operationally. As aviation rebounds after the pandemic, there have been additional challenges due to workforce shortages. These shortages affect aircrew as well as ground handlers, security agents and other airport workers. Ultimately, policymakers and airlines around the globe should carefully consider the impact of policies and the mechanisms to encourage employees to protect themselves against the COVID-19 virus and future variants, with consideration of the impacts during recovery as well as during the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Sobieralski, Joseph B. & Hubbard, Sarah M., 2023. "Turbulent skies ahead? Pandemic related workforce issues in air transportation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 84-88.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:130:y:2023:i:c:p:84-88
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.11.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X22003092
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.11.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:130:y:2023:i:c:p:84-88. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.