HONOLULU (KHON2) — In less than three weeks there have been at least five incidents involving aircrafts, with plane accidents in Washington, Philadelphia, Alaska, Scottsdale, San Diego and an American flight in Toronto, raising concern over aviation safety amongst many.
For Hawaiʻi in particular, aviation safety is paramount, given that the only way for residents to travel is via airplanes to neighbor islands and the continents.
If the safety of these airplanes is compromised, those living on the islands are essentially isolated in the middle of the Pacific.
Given the travel limitations faced by residents of the islands, local experts such as Rep. Darius Kila, the chair of the House Committee on Transportation, want to inform the public that despite what seems like a troubling trend on the surface, flying is still extremely safe.
“Although these incidents have occurred, there is still a track record of several dozen years of safe aviation,” Kila said. “So it’s unfortunate for the one time that it happens, but for the one time that it has happened, there are several hundreds of thousands of planes that have safely traveled and traversed across the Hawaiʻi waters, to international waters, to the American U.S.”
As the transportation committee’s chair, Kila works with entities such as the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, private partners and the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure safety for Hawaiʻi residents. While Kila understands concerns that may be held by the public, he says that the committee’s partners have made it clear that passengers are still safe in the air.
“One incident is one too many, and to see several, not just in a period of five months but several days, I think folks have the right to feel concerned,” the representative said. “DOT will always touch base with our passenger carriers and remind them that safety is the number one priority, and that any delayed flight is worth delaying in the case of safety… In the name of safety, we will move mountains, because that is the number one priority.”
For ʻAina Haina resident and flight attendant Kay-Lynne Richard, her confidence in flying has actually gone up since learning the tricks of the trade.
“I feel very confident that if something happens that my crew and I can rely on each other and we can get work done efficiently and make sure that everybody is safe. We all work really, really hard to put other people first,” Richard said. “Overall, I trust everybody that’s working those planes. I actually felt more scared to fly when I was just a passenger. It was after I got the job that I started to feel so much safer.”
For those who may be experiencing anxiety or nervousness on flights, Richard says that relying on the flight crew can help ease some of the worry.
“Don’t be afraid to rely on us. The flight attendants are there for a reason, and we are there for all of your needs, whether it’s going to be your medical needs, or if you feel unsafe, we can be your cops. Rely on us, that’s totally okay,” Richard said.
What Richard is concerned about, however, is more at the administrative level. Since his transition back into power, President Donald Trump has made some changes with how federal agencies hire workers and who is in authority at some federal agencies.
Trump rolled back Biden-era initiatives for diverse and equitable hiring for FAA employees, calling it “illegal discrimination.” The Associated Press also reported Trump’s firing of heads of the TSA, Coast Guard and other aviation security officials.
“Having diversity and inclusion is so, so important in this field, and keeping things like TSA is very important,” Richard said. “So the concern, it’s been growing as of recently, but overall everybody is very, very qualified and capable. I do feel safe about being on a plane. I don’t feel safe with what’s going on in politics.”
While political transitions could be concerning to some people, Kila says that safety is nonpartisan, and while not everyone will agree on the federal government’s actions, secure travel will always be a common ground.
“One good thing about the U.S. DOT transition and the FAA transition is that all of these federal agencies always have to withstand change and partisan divide,” Kila said. “These agencies need to operate in a nonpartisan fashion. Safety is nonpartisan and bipartisan at the same time, and every party can agree that safety should be our number one priority. We have those reassurances, it makes me feel good.”