module specification

The module introduces the key themes and understanding for the business and marketing management of airlines and airports. Both airlines and airports have to operate is a highly commercial environment and their decision making for route and aircraft deployment are critical to their long term survival. The management of the services and the marketing interface is equally critical for long term success.

The module introduces the key aspects of the business and marketing management of airlines and airports that are critical to their success and development. Understanding the key issues underpinning airline and airport performance is critical to the success of all operators and this is linked to understanding the sectors economics and business practices.

The module’s indicative syllabus will contain the following elements which will enable the student to fulfil the learning outcomes:

• Introduction to marketing fundamentals – the services marketing agenda
• Management of a service business – the issues for airlines and airports
• The control of marketing communications for airlines and airports
• The management of service expectations
• The importance of building stake-holder engagement
• Marketing strategies for airlines and airports
• Brands management for airlines and airports
• Airline /airport management and organisation – focus on the organisation of airlines and airports and the staff and line management areas for them
• Forecasting methods – the purpose of forecasting, methods of forecasting, air marketing research
• Airline pricing, demand and output determination – pricing and demand, the pricing process, airline costs, pricing and output determination
• Principles of airline scheduling – the mission of scheduling, flight operations and crew scheduling, schedule planning and co-ordination, hub and spoke scheduling
• Fleet planning – the planning process for fleet management
• Network management
• Airline labour relations
• Airport revenue management – aeronautical / non-aeronautical revenues business development opportunities
• Commercial management of airports - Retailing, properties, car parking

The formal delivery of the teaching and learning will be based on three contact hours per week. The contact hours will be formed of a three hour work shop involving lecture/seminar periods. The teaching and learning techniques employed on the module will consist of the following: lectures, guest speakers, case study discussions, panel discussions and debates, film and DVDs, as well as scenario-based activities and simulations.

Within the module there is significant opportunity to participate in proactive learning activities via the use of Weblearn facilities which promote inter-active discussions between both peers and lecturers and enables learners to share resources and access links to external journal articles, websites and other sources.

Discussion and debate are actively encouraged both within the classroom context and via Weblearn. Students participating in this degree come from a variety of backgrounds and often have a wealth of industry experience upon which to draw. It is useful to access this via proactive and inter-active classroom management. Students have a responsibility to prepare for forthcoming lectures so as to ensure that they fully understand the concepts discussed and, so as they can participate fully in debates and discussions. This can be done via accessing the module specifications on-line or via Weblearn, and ascertaining the forthcoming weeks lecture content.

Tutors will provide an indication of forthcoming lecture content at the end of each preceding lecture. The student should then research articles and appropriate readings around these themes so as to contribute fully to discussions and inter-active Question and Answer sessions within the lecture.

Opportunities for reflective learning will be available throughout the module as students are given the opportunity to consider their approach to tasks and discussions whilst simultaneously having the opportunity to reflect upon informal feedback that may be given from lecturers on ideas and concepts spoken of in class and, on assessments submitted.

Upon completing successfully this module the student will demonstrate capability to:

• Critically evaluate the route development process for new air routes from the perspective of airline and airport operators.
• Critically assess the airport management perspective for the strategic opportunities for growth and development of aero-nautical and non-aeronautical revenues.
• Critically evaluate the role of services marketing management for airlines and airports.
• Critically assess the role of product development and brands management for airlines and airports.
• Critically evaluate the conceptual development of airline and airports business opportunities via the development of robust business to business marketing.

The assessment strategy will involve 3 elements including 2 elements of coursework and 1 presentation  as follows:

• A marketing plan report (2,000 words)
• An individual presentation for the route development opportunities of an airport
• A business plan for a new route start-up (2,500 words)

The assessments in this period will be supported by a field trip to the United States of America so that students see the remarkable complexity of the mature air travel market in the USA.

 For airline and airport business management core texts:
Graham, A.  (2008) Managing Airports. Butterworth –Heineman
Wells, A. (2010) Air transportation – A management perspective. Wadsworth

Other background texts:
Clark, P. (2007) Buying the Big Jets: Fleet Planning for Airlines , Ashgate
Clark, P.  (2010) Stormy Skies, Airlines in Crisis,  Ashgate
Doganis, R. (2009) Flying Off Course , Routledge
Graham, A. (2008)  Managing Airports: An international perspective,  Butterworth-Heinemann

For Airline and airport marketing management core text:
Shaw, S. (2008), Airline Marketing Management, 5th Ed, Ashgate , Aldershot

Other background texts:
Bateson, J.(1999), Managing Services Marketing, 4th ed., Fort Worth: Dryden Press.
Clutterbuck, D. and S. Kernaghan, (2001), Making Customers Count, Management Books 2000 Ltd, Gloucestershire
Gronroos, C. (2006), Service Management and Marketing: A Customer Relationship Approach, 2nd Edition, Wiley, Chichester
Indicative bibliography-
Mudie, P. and Pirrie, A. (2006), Services Marketing Management, 3rd Ed, Butterworth-Heinemann
Palmer, A. (2001), Principles of Services Marketing, 3rd ed., Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.
Zeithaml, V.A. and Bitner M. J. (2000), Services Marketing, 2nd ed., Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.
Zeithaml, V. (2003), Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus across the firm, McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA

Journal of Aviation Management
Journal of ICAO