Airlines in Leveraging Diplomatic Strategies to Manage Air Rage Incidents on Commercial Operations from 2000 To 2021: A Case Study of Kenya Airways.

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Date

2023-10

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an alarming increase of reported incidents of air rage. Their level of aggression has also escalated and thus the aviation industry has decried their frequent occurrence due to the adverse negative implications they have had on airlines. These include adverse delays/disruptions to airline operations and fellow passengers’ itineraries; injuries (physical and emotional) to affected crew and passengers; damages to the aircraft and/or other assets; and also have a negative impact to profit margins. A greater worry is that in extreme instances, when its consequences became catastrophic, fatalities resulted. The purpose of the study was to investigate how airlines could leverage on long standing diplomatic strategies practiced by the international relations system to manage incidents of air rage on their commercial operations. Thus, the study sought to first uncover the gaps that exist in the Tokyo Convention (the foremost regulatory framework concerning their deterrence) and then advice airlines on the most appropriate diplomatic strategies that they could employ to manage the incidents and as well seek favourable legal redress from offenders without tarnishing their corporate image. The study also investigated the efficiency of the standard operating procedures issued to the front-line personnel to help them manage these incidents. The researcher conducted a case study of Kenya Airways and adopted a qualitative methodology. The findings were able to establish airlines to be significant multinational corporation (MNC) but were not sufficiently exercising their resounding influence to seek favourable redress for themselves. The study determined the Tokyo Convention limited prosecutorial jurisdiction to the nation where the aircraft was registered and its consequent protocol (MP14) to correct this oversight was not widely accepted thus making it difficult for airlines to manage the behavior. The study recommended that airlines ought to employ public, multi-track, corporate and cultural diplomacy to influence the industry’s regulators to enact tougher legal reforms to manage the air rage nuisance and as well improve on the training they offer their front-line personnel to mitigate and mange air rage incidents.

Description

MASTER OF ARTS In Diplomacy, Development and International Security

Keywords

Kenya Airways, air rage, aviation industry

Citation

Karimere, E. W. (2023). Airlines in Leveraging Diplomatic Strategies to Manage Air Rage Incidents on Commercial Operations from 2000 To 2021: A Case Study of Kenya Airways. Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences