In a year full of notorious airline mishaps, the industry returned to the headlines on Wednesday with the arrest of a United Airlines pilot at London’s Heathrow Airport for allegedly drinking before a scheduled flight to Chicago.

The arrest follows last month’s bizarre incident in which two Northwest Airlines pilots overshot Minneapolis by more than 100 miles. When the pilots finally responded to ground communication, the aircraft was over Wisconsin. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to investigate the pilots’ claim that their laptop computers distracted them from monitoring the flight deck. Many industry observers remain skeptical of the pilots and assume they fell asleep behind the controls.

Reports of intoxicated, distracted and sleeping pilots make good news, but the media’s focus exaggerates the danger of both the passengers and the industry in general. Of course, the pilots behaved in an egregiously careless and negligent manner that inevitably weakens the reputation of their profession. But the fact remains that thousands of flights safely reach their scheduled destination every day — some on time.

Pilots spend long hours in the flight deck reviewing arrival procedures, adjusting the flight route and monitoring shifting weather conditions. The vast majority of us in the back of the plane enjoy a smooth and uneventful flight thanks to their navigation.

With the busy Thanksgiving travel period less than two weeks away, journalists should report responsibly about airline incidents by maintaining a level of interest proportionate to the perceived breach of safety. An unfortunate airplane fatality deserves breaking news, but the arrest of a pilot planning to fly under the influence has immensely fewer far-reaching implications for the rest of the industry.

In response to the disproportionate media attention on wayward pilots, members of Congress have called for increased federal regulation of the industry. In many instances, however, the FAA already bans what Congress seeks to enshrine in federal law. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken offered an obvious discovery: “As passengers, we open our laptops on airplanes for one reason: to distract ourselves from the fact that we’re flying. But airline pilots can’t be distracted from constant monitoring of their aircraft and traffic.”

Such popular outrage, however, more clearly reflects the public’s increasing frustration with the beleaguered industry than it does anything else. A year after the financial system neared the abyss, many have already forgotten that fuel prices reached record highs during the summer of 2008. This devastated the airlines’ finances.

In the face of increasing jet fuel costs, the airlines began passing fuel surcharges on to consumers. The airlines also introduced luggage fees on the first checked bag, removed almost all complimentary in-flight food and added more seats to many aircrafts.

Americans rationally reject paying for amenities that once carried no cost. When the Transportation Security Administration limited the quantities of liquid and gel toiletries passengers could bring, a similar outcry arose because the flying public once traveled without such restrictions. No one likes new rules.

While new cost-cutting steps and security rules frustrate the flying public, millions do not think twice about flying. Ultimately, the limited reports of pilot misconduct will not keep many potential flyers on the ground this holiday season. In fact, airlines aggressively price most flights to fill planes. Far from taking advantage of customers, airlines have to fight tooth-and-nail to keep from ending up on the losing end of the patron-client relationship. Keeping this in mind when we fly — and not sensationalistic reports about the behavior of pilots or other ancillary concerns — may help us all fly better.

Stanton Abramson is a College senior from Raleigh, N.C. He is president of the Young Democrats of Emory.