Following a door panel detachment that caused international attention during an Alaska Airlines flight from Oregon to California, the public's apprehensions regarding air travel are comprehensible.
However, passengers appear to have been relatively unaffected by the incident, which required the Boeing MAX to make an emergency landing.
This appears to be the conclusion of a recent survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
More than seven in ten respondents (71 percent) continue to believe that air travel is very or somewhat secure, according to the survey. A mere 12% of the participants expressed that it is hazardous.
Although the general public continues to believe that flying is a safe mode of transportation, the survey revealed that only about two in ten adults in the United States have "a great deal of confidence" in the maintenance of aircraft and their resistance to structural defects.
However, adults in the United States cast a vote in favor of pilots and air traffic controllers. Approximately 84% of the participants indicated that they possess trust in the pilots, while 81% said they have faith in the controllers.
Furthermore, 74% of respondents said they have faith in commercial airlines, and 71% shared the same opinion regarding aircraft manufacturers. The level of confidence that U.S. adults had in the federal government was the lowest, at 62%.
In regard specifically to the oversight of aviation travel by government agencies, a mere 23 percent of respondents expressed high confidence in the adequacy of safety regulations implemented by said agencies.
Approximately 48% are moderately at ease with the safety regulations implemented by government agencies. A mere 7 percent of the participants expressed complete dissatisfaction with the existing safety regulations.