Executive Ignorance: The Troubling Trend of Ineptitude in Airline Leadership

The airline industry is facing some serious problems, and it’s time to talk about them. Major airlines are blaming the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their own mistakes, but the real issue is that they have inexperienced leaders in charge.

Running an airline is like managing a huge and complicated system. There are command centers that handle everything from schedules to weather problems. But some of the people leading our biggest airlines don’t have the right experience for the job. For example, United’s Chief Operations Officer used to work in real estate within the airline, not front line shift operations. He got his position by being good at corporate politics, not by knowing how to run an airline.

The same goes for other airlines. JetBlue’s COO used to be a lawyer within the airline, and Southwest’s COO has a background in planning and consulting. They don’t have the hands-on experience needed to make important decisions when things go wrong, like canceling or delaying flights, rearranging crew members, or managing crises during busy travel times.

This lack of experience became evident during the travel problems on July 4th. Instead of taking responsibility, United and JetBlue blamed the FAA, and United’s CEO left on a private plane, leaving his passengers stranded.

It’s like if a historian or a baker became the CEO of Google or Microsoft. It just doesn’t make sense. But the airline industry has been careless in choosing leaders who may have impressive credentials but lack the necessary experience.

This has a real impact on the hardworking people in the aviation industry. They work in tough conditions and don’t always get paid a lot. Having executives who don’t understand the job they’re overseeing is an insult to their dedication.

The boards of directors who choose these leaders need to be held accountable. They should prioritize experience over politics and make sure the people in charge of airlines know what they’re doing.

Artificial intelligence could also help in selecting the right leaders. It can identify individuals with the right skills and experience objectively. The airline industry needs to invest in leaders who understand the complexities of their operations. The chaos on July 4th should serve as a warning that failing to do so has serious consequences.