A.
I would argue it is most like a quasi military profession.
B.
The airlines are civilian, period. Not even close to "quasi military".
I think "A" used to be accepted -- now "B" is the prevailing opinion. People will disagree about which is/was better, and will not convince each other. Similar debates were heard thirty years ago, and will be heard thirty years from now. If I met my younger self, we would probably have an argument.
