30 / AVIATION BENEFITS BEYOND BORDERS Love from above: the soft power of aviation Essay by Jonathan McClory and opportunity. happening on two fronts. Power is moving As a concept firmly rooted in foreign policy between states as the global centre of power Never before has the ability of a government studies, ‘soft power’ has made a swift transition drifts from west to east. At the same time, to attract and engage with international from university lecture halls to the corridors of power is shifting away from states altogether, audiences been so important to its prosperity, power. In the last few years the term has come as non-state actors play an increasingly security, and international influence. to populate news stories, fill op-ed pages, significant role in world affairs. Governments today — whether national, feature in the speeches of world leaders, and The second factor is the communications regional, or municipal — face an increasingly dominate foreign ministry strategy papers. and IT revolution. The speed with which challenging global context as unprecedented This sudden rush of enthusiasm for soft power, information is disseminated throughout the shifts in power and technology reshape the however, has managed to erode some of the globe and the subsequent democratisation determinants of success in tourism, trade, original clarity of concept. of access to that information creates a more investment, and foreign policy. ‘Soft power’ was first coined in 1990 by informed — and increasingly activist — global For savvy governments, the response to Harvard professor Joseph Nye. Nye used the public. The rapid movement and availability this shift has been to build up and leverage term to describe the ability of a country to of information has made individuals better their ‘soft power’, effectively using the power use attraction and persuasion in the pursuit informed and more powerful than at any point of attraction to meet major economic and of foreign policy objectives, as opposed to in history. political objectives. This means nations need to offering payments or deploying force. In short, The third factor is the rise in international have a strong global brand. Importantly, this is soft power is the ability to get others to want networks. The proliferation of new channels not just about glossy PR campaigns, but what what you want via the pull of attraction and of information and platforms for engagement countries do, how they contribute to the global admiration. While often used in the context of mean that transnational networks can spring common good, and the opportunities they high-level statecraft, soft power also has huge up in a matter of hours. These networks offer to the rest of the world. While it may not implications for foreign direct investment, are mobilised across a diverse set of issues seem immediately obvious, aviation is a crucial tourism, trade, and even access to increasingly from broad political movements to single source of soft power for nations. Well-run mobile global talent. transnational issues like climate change national carriers can lift global perceptions The growing interest in soft power stems or disarmament. of their home country, but more broadly, from the need for governments to develop The final factor, which is linked to the aviation is a great facilitator of soft power, suitable responses to a rapidly changing world, second and third, has been difficult for many closing distances and connecting people, shifting as a result of four primary factors. The governments to accept: propaganda is dead. cultures, companies, ideas, innovation, first factor is the diffusion of power, which is Governments no longer have the luxury of ANALYSIS / 31 An expanding and much of the index as most of the metrics relate its country — seen in the diversity of its staff, to or rely on seamless global connectivity in the cuisine, a welcoming service, pristine advancing aviation some way. equipment, and highly efficient service. The value of connectivity is illustrated in the As a result, Singapore Airlines is a valuable industry yields Flight Connectedness Index (FCI), a research soft power asset for the internationally product compiled using flight data from IATA. minded Asian city-state. benefits that are The FCI ranks countries according to the Like Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar number of commercial international flight Airways have been part of a government shared globally. routes, gauging the international connectivity strategy to boost awareness, recognition, and of 190 countries. Looking at the most recent even admiration for their respective countries, saying one thing and doing another. With results of the IfG-Monocle Soft Power Index, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Putting easy access to instant information, global the rankings are strikingly similar: an emphasis on quality of service, and an publics are smarter, more engaged, and likely Germany, UK, USA, and France all feature expanding international route map, both to dismiss propaganda when they see it. in the top five of both the FCI and the IfG- airlines have helped develop the soft power of As a result of these shifts and the subsequent Monocle Soft Power Index. Of course, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. challenges they present, soft power has correlation is not causation, but the above But perhaps the most impressive use of a become a critical tool for governments looking rankings would suggest that connected national carrier as an instrument of soft power to assert themselves internationally. However, countries are influential countries. is found in Turkey. The Turkish government recognising the importance of soft power is In addition to the benefits of greater has been pursuing a soft power approach to easy, using it is not. Any attempt to use soft connectivity air carriers provide the countries foreign affairs under Prime Minister Erdoğan, power must begin by answering the question they serve, they also make a significant impact and Turkish Airways has been a pillar of ‘what soft power do we actually have?’ on their nation’s soft power. For many tourists, the country’s strategy to improve relations Indeed, the first step for governments business travellers, or visiting dignitaries and build new ties across the world. Backed hoping to deploy soft power is measuring it. to a destination, a national airline will be by public investment, Turkish Airlines Without a clear account of the ‘soft power responsible for passengers’ first impressions of now flies to more countries than any other resources’ at a government’s disposal the eventual destination. carrier — 197 destinations in 104 countries. — including where those resources will As unofficial ambassadors, national Expanding Turkish Airlines network and be most effective – they cannot hope to carriers — even those like British Airways delivering a highly regarded service has been use it effectively. Putting soft power into that operate independently of government an astute soft power play by the country’s practice is still very much in the early stages control — play a significant role in contributing government. The expansion of Turkey’s of development. Moreover, the growing to the international reputation of their home national carrier has lifted the overall brand enthusiasm for the concept betrays most country. While this fact has certainly escaped awareness of the country as a whole and governments’ ability to use it. some carriers and their patron governments, generated new opportunities for prosperity In 2010, the Institute for Government there are a number of airlines that have and influence through an expanding network (IfG), working in collaboration with Monocle of international flight routes. magazine, set out to address the soft power Rank Flight Connectedness Soft Power Individually, high-performing national Index Index measurement challenge for the first time, carriers provide a boost to the soft power of creating a composite index that ranks their respective countries of origin. But taken 1 Germany Germany countries according to their soft power. The in aggregate, an expanding and advancing IfG-Monocle Soft Power Index comprises over aviation industry yields benefits that are 2 France UK 50 metrics assessing countries according to shared globally. Economically, the new their values, government, diplomacy, culture, opportunities for international business 3 UK USA education, business friendliness, and capacity links, trade, and face-to-face sharing of ideas for innovation. help generate greater global prosperity. 4 USA France Aviation features prominently in the IfG- For students, the chance to study in another Monocle Soft Power index, and with good country, explore new ideas, and build lasting 5 Italy / Netherlands Japan reason. The index includes metrics like ‘annual relationships ultimately leads to better number of international tourists’, ‘average understanding between nations and cultures. tourist spending’, ‘number of international embraced their ambassadorial role. Singapore The expansion of international tourism too, students’, and ‘quality of national air carrier’. Airlines stands out as a carrier that brilliantly has positive ripple effects for world culture Aviation also has an indirect influence on reflects the culture, values, and ambitions of and even international relations. 32 / AVIATION BENEFITS BEYOND BORDERS Love from above: the soft power of aviation Diplomacy itself — where soft power is Building better international relations is put into