The world's commercial aviation industry comprises a complex and highly diverse range of businesses with different forms of governance, ownership, management structure and organisational philosophies. The essays in this Volume address issues of market structure, focusing particularly on changes in the aviation industry that have resulted from policies of deregulation, as well as revenue, cost and pricing, airline mergers and acquisitions and the reasons for and characteristics of global airline alliances. One of the most significant developments in aviation business strategy over the last four decades has been the emergence and expansion of low cost carriers and the implications that this business model has had for the sector in terms of competition, route offering, service innovation and profitability. Central to these discussions are issues of cost and the need to manage yields. This raises the issue of pricing, elasticity, and price discrimination, all of which are of relevance to passenger airlines, air cargo operators and airports. Policies of air service deregulation and liberalisation have fundamentally changed the market structure of airlines and airports. As a result of new airlines entering the market place, many incumbent carriers sought to protect and grow their market share by reconfiguring their network into a hub and spoke operation and merging with, or acquiring their competitors. Another strategy airlines can use to increase their network presence, market power, and obtain enhanced economies of scale and scope is to enter into a strategic alliance with another carrier. Membership of an alliance enables a firm to access new markets that would previously have been difficult and/or expensive to operate into and help to overcome (at least in part) ownership restrictions, a lack of traffic rights to a particular country and markets with limited demand. Deregulation and liberalisation have also changed the competitive nature of the airline market and led to a change in the ownership and control of airports and airlines with many moving from the public to the private sector. The increasingly competitive and contestable market, combined with commercial imperatives to generate a return on investment, means that airlines and airports are incentivised to grow their business through marketing and enhanced customer loyalty. Airlines helped to pioneer the development of customer loyalty schemes and the resulting frequent flyer programmes have become a standard aspect of many full service airline operators' product offerings. However, increased competition and business model innovation have prompted a reconfiguration of these schemes with some low cost operators now incorporating elements of frequent flyer schemes.

Competition in air transport has been transformed by industry liberalization initiatives, resulting in the emergence of a wide array of new airline start-ups. Restrictions on low fares have been removed, uniform control requirements have been established, and legislation has facilitated the proliferation of low-fare carriers and competition. The new breed of independent low-fare airlines (LFAs) use market freedoms to shake up the industry's competitive dynamics and offer the customer the alternative of low prices and basic service. A successful low fare business model requires a ruthless and relentless focus on cost cutting and increased operational productivity, combined with an ability to generate and maintain a cash surplus and a cautious but steady fleet and route network expansion. The mastery of these techniques has made Southwest and Ryanair industry leaders, but others such as EasyJet also have a proven record of profitability and market growth, despite not always being the lowest cost or price providers. In this comprehensive and topical study the author systematically provides: · a step-by-step approach to understanding the conditions and choices shaping airline competitiveness, and an assessment of the nature of the low fare market · a comprehensive study of the low fare airline sector's evolution and growth and arguments as to why the European low fare industry is here to stay despite the inevitability of a shake out (reminiscent of the early 1980s in the USA). · unique insights into the success of low fare market leaders in Europe, North America and Australasia and an examination of the experience of US new entrants in the post-deregulations era, to discern strategic lessons for their counterparts; · critical perspectives on strategic management principles and practices in modern airline companies, discussing strategies for survival, and comparing competitive strategies for the main low fare airlines and their limitations; · key reasons for the robustness of the low fare business model during industry crises The book also determines the conditions and strategies that shape sustainable advantage for LFAs in highly competitive deregulated markets where established airlines seek to force out new entrants and considerable political interference remains. Moreover, the book considers why, during the airline industry crisis of late 2001, the market capitalizations of low fare leaders held steady in the wake of the US terrorist attacks, while the major carriers on both sides of the Atlantic were decimated. Cleared for Take-Off is essential reading for airline executives, aerospace manufacturers, regulatory and government transportation agencies, researchers or students of aviation management, transport studies, the travel industry and/or corporate strategy.

In the rapidly evolving airline industry, new technologies play an increasingly critical role in the delivery of real and perceived value in reducing costs, enhancing revenue, and improving customer service and customer safety/security. This book focuses at a senior executive level, examining the key forces affecting the airline business and their potential in terms of short and long-term strategies. The author discusses the role of emerging technology on the airline industry, defined very broadly and including computers, information, databases, aircraft, telecommunications, Internet, wireless, speech recognition, face recognition, etc. His argument is that technology should not only be an enabler of business strategy but crucially the driver of business strategy. The central theme is the vital interaction between technology and business strategy across a wide spectrum of functions - executives sharing their insights of what is needed in terms of revolutions in consumers, technologies, and productivities. What has held airlines back are not so much legacy systems but legacy mindsets, organizational structures and processes, as well as the intelligent selection, investments, and implementation of value-adding technologies. The book is the outcome of the author's own experience while working with a number of airlines and his participation in many discussions with practitioners in the airline and technology firms.

Designing and Executing Strategy in Aviation Management is designed to provide an intensely practical guide to this critically important topic. Comprehensive in coverage and easy-to-read in style, it allows both professionals and students to understand the principles and practicalities of crafting and executing business strategies with an aviation context. The result is a comprehensive and multifaceted teaching/learning package, which includes applied case studies on a wide range of airlines and aviation businesses, setting out how these organizations deal with strategy formulation and implementation in critical areas. Topics covered include: corporate strategy, generic strategy, competitive strategy, internal and external environment assessment, mergers, alliances, safety and security. Written directly for both aviation professionals and student courses in aviation strategy, aviation management and aviation operations, it will also be of great interest to aviation professionals in a variety of different fields, including airlines, corporate aviation, consultancy, etc., as well as academics within the field of aviation and those within the field of strategy and management science.

Applying fundamentals of marketing to commercial passenger air transportation, this textbook puts the emphasis on marketing principles and illustrative ways in which airlines can distinguish themselves within the highly competitive global marketplace. Fundamentals of Airline Marketing begins with a survey of current airline business strategies and the macro forces that have shaped the airline industry in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The growing importance of technology is discussed both from the perspective of better understanding customer needs and engaging more effectively with them. The central role of the "customer" is explored through the lens of modern segmentation and branding approaches. Coverage then shifts to the tactical decision areas consisting of the 4Ps—product, place, promotion, and price—in which marketers shape and execute their strategies. The book concludes with a focus on executing marketing initiatives internally through customer-facing employee groups and externally through the measurement and management of the customer experience. Fundamentals of Airline Marketing: • is an accessible textbook on the fundamentals of marketing for commercial passenger air transportation; • chronicles the marketing innovations and controversies that have been central to the historic shift in airline fortunes; • demonstrates how airline decisions fit within the fundamentals of marketing and how the marketplace is continuing to evolve; • provides a bridge between key marketing principles and their specific application to the airline industry in each chapter. This textbook is written primarily for undergraduate college students enrolled in aviation business administration programs and related courses. It will also serve as an accessible primer on airline marketing for industry professionals not presently working in marketing and for frontline airline employees seeking to learn more about marketing.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current strategic challenges and measures required to meet those challenges in a dynamic industry. Experts from aviation practice and management, in addition to acknowledged scholars, contribute to this volume and combine academic expertise with economic and business perspectives in an unprecedented way for the aviation field. The focus is not restricted to passenger airlines. The five parts of the book additionally include chapters on alliance management and formation, strategic issues for air freight carriers and airport companies, as well as impacts the airline industry exerts on its environment. The book combines both concepts and results from recent academic research with applications and case studies from major industry players. Readership includes academics, students on advanced aviation courses, senior aviation professionals in airline, airport and supplier companies, international organizations and governmental agencies.

Organised by themes and complemented by brief commentaries introducing underlying business concepts or additional information, these reader-friendly columns cover a broad enough range of issues to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the key themes relevant to the business of aerospace today.