The impacts of terrorism on the aviation industry : analysing the effects on the demand for air transport

Abstract

As the aviation industry continues to flourish, the terrorist threat is as menacing as ever. The events that occurred on 11th September 2001 were revolutionary as countries and superpowers were being threatened in unfamiliar and erratic ways. The use of extreme force with the aim of creating fear in a large audience and manipulating societies is a behaviour which is as old as mankind. The aim of this research is to examine the perceptions of airline passengers in the light of the recent attacks around Europe. The study attempts to answer questions such as, were a terrorist act stop people from travelling? The research attempts to showcase the relationship between passenger demand which is losing momentum and terrorist events. The results show that the demand for air transport is not being affected in the case of Malta. Rather than ceasing to travel to other countries people tend to avoid certain destinations more than others.