In this course of action logical reasoning question, air export volumes have increased substantially over the past decade, causing serious backlogs and difficulties for air cargo agents because demand for space and service has risen sharply. Based on this situation, which of the following proposed courses of action should be followed to handle the growing problem in a practical and effective way?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the course of action type in logical reasoning. The statement explains that air export volumes have increased substantially over the past decade. As a result, air cargo agents are facing backlogs and operational difficulties because demand for space and service has grown sharply. The test here is to identify which suggested courses of action directly address the stated problem in a realistic and responsible way. We must decide whether airlines and cargo agents should work together, whether causes of the increase should be investigated, or whether neither or both actions logically follow from the situation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Air export volumes have increased substantially over the past decade.
• This increase has caused backlogs and operational difficulties for air cargo agents.
• The difficulty is due to increased demand for cargo space and related services.
• Course of action a: Airlines and air cargo agents should jointly work out a solution to combat the problem.
• Course of action b: The reasons for the increase in the volume of air exports should be found out.

Concept / Approach:
In course of action questions, we evaluate whether a proposed step directly and reasonably addresses the problem described in the statement. A valid course of action should be practical, relevant, and within the control of the agents mentioned. It should not be redundant or focus on information that we already know. Here, we already know that demand has increased and that backlogs exist. So we must see which course leads to constructive mitigation of the backlog rather than simply restating or searching for causes that have already been identified.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core problem. The main issue is backlog and difficulty in handling increased air export volumes due to higher demand for space and service.Step 2: Examine course of action a. Airlines and air cargo agents working jointly to find a solution directly targets the operational backlog. Joint planning can optimize scheduling, capacity allocation, infrastructure use, and service processes. This is a relevant and practical response.Step 3: Examine course of action b. The statement already mentions that volumes increased and that this increase is because of higher demand for space and services. The broad reason is therefore known. Finding additional reasons for higher exports does not by itself reduce the backlog or remove difficulty.Step 4: Compare impact. Course a directly attacks the problem by improving coordination and efficiency. Course b is more of an analytical exercise and does not guarantee any immediate relief.Step 5: Conclude which course logically follows. Since only course a directly addresses the stated problem in a practical manner, only a follows.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we imagine being a decision maker in an airline or cargo agency, the first urgent need would be to reduce backlog and improve service speed. Joint planning between airlines and agents would help adjust schedules, allocate capacity, and add resources. Merely researching reasons for demand growth would not solve the operational bottleneck, especially when the primary reason, higher demand, is already clear from the statement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option b (Both courses of action a and b follow) is not correct because course b does not contribute meaningfully to solving the backlog problem when broad reasons are already known.
• Option c (Only course b follows) is wrong because course b alone does not provide a direct, actionable solution to the backlog and difficulties.
• Option d (Neither a nor b follows) is wrong because course a is clearly a sensible and relevant step that directly addresses the situation.
• Option e (None of these) is wrong because one of the listed courses, namely a, is valid.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes think that investigating reasons is always a good course of action. However, in many reasoning questions, if the cause is already described in the statement, suggesting that we must again find the reason is redundant and not counted as a valid course of action. Another mistake is to assume both actions must be chosen whenever they sound positive. In course of action questions, each option is judged strictly on whether it logically and directly addresses the problem as stated.

Final Answer:
Only course of action a follows.