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Article Archive

Aviation

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In time links may turn into a dead end. If you have problems locating any of the articles below please contact us so we can help.

 

Airlines, Governments Must Fundamentally Change Air Transport Model elaborates about the needed change in the airline industry given its parlous financial position.
(Air Transport World, April 8, 2022)

 

How A Major European Airline Group Is Learning From Outside In shows how an outsider can see what the industry experts are missing. It tells how Lufthansa uses distribution technologies from outside the industry.
(ATW, May 2021)

 

Boeing’s Push to Make Training Profitable May Have Left 737 Max Pilots Unprepared is an interesting human factor case to learn from when implementing organizational changes.
(Bloomberg Businessweek, December 20, 2019)


Remembering Herb Kelleher: An Unparalleled Innovator in Commercial Aviation
is a tribute to the man behind Southwest Airlines’ success. Still an inspiring story for any airline and (aviation) business.
(Fortune, February 2019)


IoT: Ending Unscheduled Maintenance, although by some seen more as an “infomercial”, provides insight of how the Internet of Things can transform the aviation aftermarket.
(Inside MRO, July 2016)


Little Airlines, Big ideas describes three new or rapidly expanding airline models on the transatlantic that can put further pressure on legacy carriers’ results: WOW Air using Narrow Bodies via their Reykjavik, Iceland, hub, La Compagnie’s all-business-class, and long-haul low cost Norwegian.
(Time Magazine, February 23, 2015


In Business Outside the Box Delta’s CEO Richard Anderson in talking about the volatile airline industry and need to adapt your business model to it to make your enterprise successful regardless of it.
(Airline Business, January-February 2014)

Risk Management Strategies For The Aftermarket discusses steps airlines and MROs can take to mitigate parts availability risks.
(Aviation Week & Space Technology, Dec. 9, 2013) – free access


Empire State of Mind is an interview with Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan on the airlines’ strategy to assemble equity partnerships across the globe to deliver fast track growth and setting the carrier apart from its bigger neighbors.
(Airline Business, November 2013) – free access


Viking Raider, an interview with Norwegian rapidly growing Low Cost Carrier’s CEO Bjorn Kjos about Norwegians cost control, the market and the launch of its long-haul flights.
(Airline Business, July 2013) – need to be subscribed to Airline Business


The ‘Digital Aircraft’ – heralding a new generation of aircraft operations addresses the challenges as well as the opportunities from new generation aircraft IT in aircraft. The new Internet Protocol (IP) opens new opportunities for efficiency and product for customers, but concerns how to integrate this in the cockpit IT.
(Aircraft IT Ops, February-March 2013) – free access


American Airlines, iPad enabled, FAA approved
 explains why iPad based Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) are heading the field. This report is based on the EFB selection process at American Airlines.
(Aircraft IT Operations, Spring 2012) – free access


Accelerating Airline Business Model Realignment
 discusses why airlines should realign not just their product, service and productivity levels, but also their business model.
(Airline Leader, May-June 2012) – free access


Lion Air Chief Dreams Of Runways And Roofs
 reveals some of the ambitions and visions of Rusdi Kirana who – with his brother – started Indonesia’s largest domestic and low-cost airline just over a decade ago.
(Airwise News, February 15, 2012) – free access


Long-term Dividends
 emphasizes the benefits of long-term planning for maintenance costs. It also discusses the benefits of long-term relationships between an airline and MRO, although a bit one-sided from the third-party shops view. Also published under the name Spend Less From Better MRO Planning.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, October 2011) – free access


Welcome aboard Air White-Label
 discusses a step-changing business model for the airline industry. The model looks similar to the McKinsey model in the nineties of the last century but takes it one step further. It separates the consumer product from the airline operation, with possibility of carrying different brands and products within one aircraft. Fruit for thought.
(Airline Business, November 2011) – free access


Singapore Airlines’ Balancing Act
discusses how they successfully execute a dual strategy: offering world-class services while being a cost leader. Although experts like Michael Porter argue you cannot do this for a sustained period, Singapore Airlines proves differently and dual strategies may be inevitable.
(Harvard Business Review, July/August 2010) – access fee


Better Operations With Smarter MRO
 provides 20 ways in which smarter maintenance may reduce operating costs or gain revenue. Although no real new ideas, this comprehensive list may inspire you to start some initiatives to enhance your business.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, June 2008) – free access


VLJ Owner Demands Drive Maintenance Shift
discusses the new type of requirements and opportunities these Very Light Jets (such as the Eclipse 500) create, partly due significant number expected to be used as air taxi.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, March 2008) – free access


In search of the Holy Grail
provides an overview of new inspection and structural health monitoring technologies under development. Although most are still in their development stage, several seem very promising and helping maintenance to make step forward.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, February 2008) – free access


The margin myth
explains why it is not all about profit margins but total shareholder return. Probably nothing new … still a good reminder.
(Airline Business, November 2007) – free access


Pulling out of a tailspin
is an inspiring, although brief, exploration of the recent successful come-back of Malaysian Airline Systems.
(Forbes, August 21, 2007) – free access


MRO migration has begun
discusses the changing business model for maintenance in theUS and the need for integrated management of the maintenance services. Although very much a North American viewpoint, still interesting as there are lessons to be learned for all of us.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, February 28, 2008)


Adapt or Die
discusses the changing environment of the European charter airlines and how they cope with it.
(Airline Business, September, 2006)


Indian MRO spools up
discusses the latest developments of the MRO market inIndia. With a booming air travel there are interesting new opportunities, while on the other hand still a lot of hurdles.
(ATW, August 2006)


Zealots drive down costs
discussed the continuous cost cutting at LCCs as well as their quest for boosting ancillary revenues. An inspiring article for the legacy competitors – or so it should be.
(Airline Business, March 2006)


Jet propelled
, an interview with founding chairman of Jet Airways, gives an excellent insight of the airline developments ofIndia and an appreciation of the rapid growth in this country.
(Airline Business, December 2005)


Turning the screw
discusses ways how several carriers, like easyJet, Cargolux and Cathy Pacific, work in tandem with their suppliers to force more radical changes that leads to greater cost efficiencies.
(Airline Business, October 2005)


The Long Haul
discusses the increasing role finance needs to play in the decision-making for airlines to become successful. For this reason, three of the four lowest-costs major carriers (in theUS) have put their CFO at the helm.
(CFO Magazine, February 2005)


Service Challenge
discusses effects of the LCCs on the MRO market.
(Airline Business, October 2004)


Push To Get Turntimes Faster
discusses the importance of turntimes in today’s maintenance market and exploresthe several initiatives taken to reduce them.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, July/August 2004)


Sky King
discusses the attempt of two veterans, Crandall and Burr, to revolutionize the way we fly with their air taxi initiative. Although too early to predict its success, it is one of the few creative new ideas to change the aviation business model.
(Forbes Magazine, August 16, 2004)


Airbus Moves Into MRO Market
discusses Airbus strategy for MRO support the Airbus operators.
(Overhaul & Maintenance, January/February 2004)


Two’s Company
discusses the announced acquisition of KLM by Air France. The Editorial Comment on this issue Raising the stakes has interesting comments on this subject.
(Airline Business, November 2003)


Aviation on Trial
discusses a dangerous development – turning accidents into crimes – as this can seriously threaten the present safety system in the aviation industry.
(ATW, September 2002)


Set the airlines free
discusses the advantages of more airline deregulation and what the main three issues are.
(Forbes Global, March 4, 2002)


Drive to outsource
discusses the popularity of the once sensitive concept of outsourcing in-flight and ground services.
(Airline Business, January 2002)


On a wing and a prayer: Canada 3000’s bet
describes howCanada 3000 went down in no time. An excellent case study about the risks of taking the “failing company” scenario too far.
(The Globe and Mail, November 19, 2001)


Blue Skies
is an inspiring story about the successful start-up airline JetBlue. Remarkable items are its innovation and people focus. If it sustains its success it will become a case study every business leader will study, same like Southwest today.
(Time Magazine, July 30, 2001)


Bigger vs Faster
discusses the fight between the two giants in the civil aviation industry: Airbus and Boeing. Each is betting on a different strategy to win the market. A struggle that is instructive for any executive who has to reinvent his or her company.
(Time Magazine, May 14, 2001)


Dee Howard is back
describes how this aviation MRO company has been transformed from a very top-down management mode with low employee moral to an efficient, cell structured organization. By getting everyone involved they have been successful in winning dissatisfied customers back and making the company more attractive to work for.
(Aviation Maintenance, August 2000)


Unconventional Wisdom
tells how a small airline, Frontier, has saved money by doing exactly what everyone would advise them not to do: perform the heavy airframe maintenance in-house. Maybe also lessons to learn for companies providing MRO services?
(Overhaul & Maintenance, December 1999)


There’s no business like e-commerce
provides a good overview of e-business strategies in the MRO business and discusses measures to be taken to apply them successfully.
(Aircraft Technology, Engineering and Maintenance, Feb/March 2000)

 

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