It was a bright spring day at Flight Level 350, far above the Chesapeake Bay, as we cruised up the Eastern Seaboard en route to Newark, New Jersey. This was my first time flying a jet in more than a month—really flying, not playacting in a giant video game on hydraulic stilts ensconced in the antiseptic cloisters of the training center.
Taking Wing: Black Swan Rising
Key Takeaways:
- The author, a new airline captain, recounts starting his command amidst the unsettling and rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which immediately became a devastating "black swan" event for the airline industry.
- The crisis exposed the industry's inherent vulnerability to external shocks, shattering recent optimism among management and newer pilots who hadn't experienced severe downturns, unlike veteran colleagues scarred by events like 9/11.
- Immediate consequences included massive capacity cuts, grounding hundreds of aircraft, near-zero revenue, thousands of flight cancellations, and the looming threat of furloughs and bankruptcies for major carriers.
- Despite the dire situation and uncertainty, the author expresses hope that people's desire to fly will lead to the industry's eventual recovery, with pilots ready to return when the public is prepared to travel again.
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