An aircraft is a complex vehicle that can fly in the air. They are an essential part of modern society, allowing fast travel over very long distances. In recent years, this technology has been criticised for having a very negative impact on air quality, a large carbon footprint and a high level of noise pollution during take-off and landing.
Supernatural Developments
The revelation of the supernatural world has required aircraft engineers, manufacturers, operators and regulators to adapt to the new reality, just like the rest of the world. The
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) took the lead in adopting new rules and standards for civil aviation. A rapid recovery from the shock of the revelations was possible because the
Civil Aviation Investigation Task Force quickly clarified the situation to key figures in the civil aviation network. It took only about four months after the veil fell for all national civil aviation authorities to adopt new regulations that take into account the existence of magic and supernatural beings.
Potential Threats
Supernatural attacks on aircraft are very rare. However, when they do occur, they are devastating and usually result in the deaths of all passengers on board, as they are difficult to counteract. The most difficult is when a supernatural decides to get on an aeroplane and do some damage. Since many do not bring weapons, they can be deadly. Humans are no match for the strength of a werewolf or the powers of a witch. This has been the greatest concern of the civil aviation authorities. At the same time, this fear is completely unfounded. There has never been an attack like this in the history of aviation. All aircraft hijackings have been carried out without the help of supernatural forces.
Outside attacks using magic have happened, but are very rare. There are very few sorcerers capable of reaching a commercial aircraft high in the air, which means that all attacks occur during take-off or near landing. There are only three confirmed cases of an aircraft being brought down by magic. Two of these cases remain unsolved. The third case is very famous among hunters because twenty-five hunters were killed. It was the revenge of a mage who had lost his lover to a hunter attack.
In recent years, a new potential threat has emerged with the advent of cyber magic. It could be possible to hack into the autopilot or other software components of aircraft and cause an accident. There are no confirmed cases of this happening and it remains a theoretical threat.
Security Regulations
To protect aircraft from supernatural hijackers, the Civil Aviation Authority first wanted to ban all supernaturals from all commercial flights. This radical solution was quickly implemented by several national authorities and many called for the
ICAO to implement the measures as well. In the end, this measure never gained a majority, and by the time
Magic-Suppression Arrays were released, the idea had died down completely. By 2020, all commercial flights were open to psychics again.
Several regulations were passed to improve airport security and to protect aircraft during take-off and landing. Banning the unauthorised use of magic at all airports was controversial at first, but a major attack that killed all passengers quickly changed minds. At the same time, commercial airlines are now required to use magical shields to protect against such attacks during take-off and landing. In most cases, this is done by an airport security wizard or witch who can provide the shield. In a few cases, airlines have added wizards to their crews to fulfil this requirement. However, this is very expensive as skilled wizards who can perform such a role are very rare.
To prevent cyber-attacks, all hardware components are equipped with supernatural protection and isolation devices, as well as alarms that go off if there is any tampering with either the hardware or the software at a magical level.
Accident Prevention
The most important improvement is the ability to cast a long-lasting Slow Fall spell. This spell has saved many lives, as engine failure and other problems that would cause the plane to crash are no longer fatal. However, such a landing is still quite rough and will cause some injuries. After an experimental phase, the international aviation community has made it mandatory for all commercial airlines to use this safety mechanism. Another useful feature is soundproofing, which reduces the noise emitted by aircraft. These are required in the European Union and have been adopted by most commercial airlines. For smaller aircraft, a useful enhancement is an aura of danger spell, which keeps birds away from the aircraft. This reduces the likelihood of an aircraft colliding with a bird.
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