Current Issues of JetBlue Airways

JetBlue Airways is an American airline and is the fifth largest carrier in the United States. It is also one of the competing airways in America. With an increase in competition, several current issues have arisen ranging from the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID), freight damage issues, security, and lastly labor shortage. This paper discusses the current issues of JetBlue Airways.

The Use of Radio Frequency Identification

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is used in the airline to check bags and passengers. It serves to improve security in the airport against criminal attacks, error prevention, and safety against any general hazards and to remove tedious tasks (Crain 2015). The use of RFID helps in saving time for passengers and the airport personnel. This technique in turn leads to maximized profits for the airline due to less working hours and as a result reduced salaries of workers. In the airport, there are other improved RFID-enabled kiosks and vending machines, which offer its retailers the opportunity to speed up transactions. It leads to increased sales. Regarding technology, JetBlue has been the first airline to monitor a passenger’s bag using a computer chip embedded in the RFID bag tag.

Freight Damage Issues

It is always very common among airlines to have freight damage issues as it is in JetBlue Airways. In one occasion, the company was forced to compensate its customers because of bad weather, which had affected freight and had caused delays to passengers. This issue made the airline to pay back passengers for the latter to be able to use services of other airlines. Most people criticized this decision since they argued that they could have been told earlier to avoid any inconveniences. In another case, the JetBlue Airlines discovered a bag emitting smoke. It was immediately removed from the aircraft cabin, and the airline personnel eventually managed to put off the fire, but it took a lot of time. There was little damage to passengers’ property, but little compensation was needed.

Security

Security is the main concern to any airline. JetBlue does not take the safety of its passengers for granted. Currently, people experience a longer time staying in security lines. There have been thorough checkups at the gates to ensure the safety of everybody, including airport’s employees. The introduction of this security measure cost the company a lot of money, since it had to employ the relevant personnel to perform duties in the right way (Anton, He, & Baumer, 2014). Due to the long time used for security checkups, the company has urged passengers to arrive on time to prevent them from missing their flights. The airline has also purchased some modern tools used for checking security. Few years ago, passengers were forced to remove their clothing for screening purposes. Currently, electronic gadgets can screen without removing clothing.

Labor Shortage

Due to a shortage of pilots, JetBlue Airways plans to recruit such employees to cover the gap. It will be the first airline in America to recruit pilots. This process will create efficiency regarding saving time and reduce cases of delayed flights. The airline will be able to train the recruits to become future pilots of the airline.

Conclusion

JetBlue Airline is growing in terms of technology application. It is evident from the use of improved RFID. This process saves time for the airline personnel and a lot of money. Flight damage issues have also cost the company a lot regarding maintenance and compensation. It is evident that the security of passengers is of great concern to JetBlue Airline. The plan to increase the number of pilots will be a success since the company will have permanent pilots.