Module catalogue

CA6058 - Airline and Airport Strategic Management (2022/23)

Module specification

Module approved to run in 2022/23

Module title

Airline and Airport Strategic Management

Module level

Honours (06)

Credit rating for module

School

Guildhall School of Business and Law

Total study hours

150

9 hours	Assessment Preparation / Delivery
105 hours	Guided independent study
36 hours	Scheduled learning & teaching activities

Assessment components

Type	Weighting	Qualifying mark	Description
Practical Examination	20%		Individual presentation (20 minutes)
Coursework	80%		Individual report (2,000 words)

Running in 2022/23

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)

Period	Campus	Day	Time
Autumn semester	North	Thursday	Morning
Autumn semester	North	Friday	Afternoon
Autumn semester	North	Friday	Morning
Autumn semester	North	Thursday	Afternoon

Module summary

The role of this module is to introduce the role of strategic analysis and planning for airlines and airports to determine a sustainable future for these partners. The module will explore the vital nature of understanding the external environment and the opportunities for growth and development depending on internal capabilities and the external environment.

The module aims to provide students with an:

understanding of the importance of strategic management opportunities for airlines and airports
appreciation of the internal factors that allow companies to capitalise on external market opportunities
understanding of the vital nature of ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ and ‘market’ features for air travel for strategic development

Prior learning requirements

NA.

Syllabus

The external environment for airline formations and strategic options – the State versus private sector environments and the implications for airlines and airports organisation LO1

The internal dynamics of businesses and how businesses have to deploy resources and capabilities for airport and airline development LO2

The theories of airline strategic positioning and development linked to external environment and the internal capabilities of airlines and airports LO3

Regulatory factors in airline and airport development LO1/LO3

Business plans for strategic development LO3

Airline alliances and their impact on the aviation sector strategic direction LO2/LO3

Forecasting and scenario building for aviation management purposes LO1

Mergers and acquisitions for the purpose of strategic growth LO2/LO3

Success factors for airlines and airports – case study analysis LO1/LO2/LO3

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

The formal delivery of the teaching and learning will be based on three contact hours per week spread over 12 weeks. The contact hours will be formed of a two-hour interactive session which draws from teaching and learning strategies such as workshops, lectures, guest speakers, airport and airline case study discussions, panel discussions and debates, videos, Weblearn platforms as well as scenario-based real time activities and simulations.

Peer to peer learning will also feature within the programme as students work together to develop solutions to practically based solutions and assess/ critique the relevant impact.

Groupwork will form a large part of the sessions, with student participating in active learning as they disseminate and discuss relative experience and acquired knowledge.

The remaining hour of contact time will be a seminar-based approach where students will explore current themes and trends in airline and airport strategic management in more detail.

Alumni will also provide a careers perspective for this section of the industry and guest lecturers will provide contextual learning in the aviation strategic management area.

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 ICAO/IATA documents, 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.

Learning outcomes

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

L01 – Assess airline and airport strategic management opportunities resulting from external factors within the external environment,

L02 – Evaluate the internal capabilities of airlines and airports to understand the strategic capabilities for the future,

L03 – Assess the strategic positioning of airlines and airports and the alignment between the ‘vision’, the ‘mission’ and the ‘market’ for airlines services.

Assessment strategy

The assessment of this module will take the form of an individual presentation and a written individual report.

Assessment 1 – Practical exam – creation of a new airline or airport via the creation of a ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ for a new airline with product details

Assessment 2 – Individual report showing how the airline or airport created in part 1 could be positioned strategically for a successful and sustainable future etc.

The module’s assessment is passed on aggregate.

Bibliography

Essential readings:

Albers,S.,Baum,H.,Auerbach,S.,& Delfmann, W.(2017) Strategic Management In The Aviation Industry. London: Routledge