Air empire is a fresh study of civil aviation as a tool of late British imperialism. The first pioneering flights across the British empire in 1919-20 were flag-waving adventures that recreated an era of plucky British maritime exploration and conquest. Britain’s development of international air routes and services was approved, organised and celebrated largely in London; there was some resistance in and beyond the subordinate colonies and dominions. Negotiating the financing and geopolitics of regular commercial air service delayed its inception until the 1930s. Technological, managerial and logistical problems also meant that Britain was slow into the air and slow in the air. Propaganda concealed underperformance and criticism. The study uses archival sources, biographies, industry magazines and newspapers to chronicle the disputed progress toward air empire. The rhetoric behind imperial air service offers a glimpse of late imperial hopes, fears, attitudes and style. Empire air service had emotional appeal and symbolic value, but disappointed in practice. -- .

Space sparks the imagination in fantastic ways, but nothing quite captures people's attention more than when we actually reach out and touch another world. Whether it's missions to the Moon, transporting rovers to Mars or landing Philae on a comet, the idea that we can not only picture these worlds from afar, but to touch them is wonderfully inspiring, and it is through cutting-edge robotic technology that it is made possible. In Robots in Space expert space journalist Dr Ezzy Pearson delves into the fascinating robotic history of space exploration, from distant times when stars were an unreachable godly mystery, through the intense Space Race following the Second World War to the Mars missions of the twenty-first century. As we find ourselves on the cusp of a new and exciting space age, Pearson explores how and why humanity turns its best minds to travelling to the stars, and exactly how far we could go.

Air accidents and disasters are often attributed to 'pilot error'. The author argues that such 'blamism' may obscure the underlying cause(s) of a disaster, as errors can also be induced through bad design, poor training, unrealistic rosters, sub-standard maintenance and other factors totally outside the control of the flight crew. This book combines systems theory with research data and case studies and is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the aetiology of air disasters.

With the pace of ongoing technological and teamwork evolution across air transport, there has never been a greater need to master the application and effective implementation of leading edge human factors knowledge. Human Factors in Multi-Crew Flight Operations does just that. Written from the perspective of the well-informed pilot it provides a vivid, practical context for the appreciation of Human Factors, pitched at a level for those studying or engaged in current air transport operations. Features Include: - A unique seamless text, intensively reviewed by subject specialists. - Contemporary regulatory requirements from ICAO and references to FAA and JAA. - Comprehensive detail on the evolutionary development of air transport Human Factors. - Key statistics and analysis on the size and scope of the industry. - In-depth demonstration of the essential contribution of human factors in solving current aviation problems, air transport safety and certification. - Future developments in human factors as a 'core technology'. - Extensive appendices, glossary and indexes for ease of reference. The only book available to map the evolution, growth and future expansion of human factors in aviation, it will be the text for pilots and flight attendants and an essential resource for engineers, scientists, managers, air traffic controllers, regulators, educators, researchers and serious students.

International Air Carrier Liability brings together essential treaties and airline-to-airline agreements on air carrier liability, safety and security, and supplements these with expert commentary and analysis. The examination considers the general regulatory framework of international civil aviation (including the Chicago Convention and related documents) and how the liability regime fits within that framework. The book is divided into three parts: dealing in turn with liability, safety and security, and civil aviation regulation. Part I, for example, provides comment and analysis of the international air-carrier liability regime, how the main liability conventions operate, and the application of these conventions to international carriage by air (passengers, baggage and cargo). Given its subject matter and the universal state party participation in these conventions, this book has truly global application. David Hodgkinson and Rebecca Johnston aim to provide a reference aid for legal practitioners (at law firms, airlines, manufacturers, aviation-related corporations and government departments and agencies), as well as academics, students (undergraduate and post graduate) and government officials regarding treaties, domestic laws and documents concerned with these vital legal issues.

Airline Management Finance: The Essentials is of significant benefit to airline industry practitioners seeking a focused, neatly contained and accessible resource that provides explicit financial information pertinent to their current or future role. The book explains and demystifies an airline's financing and the financial reporting of its operations to airline staff and others. It seeks to explain the role of finance and the Finance Department in a non-technical way, so staff can appreciate the value of the department and its information resources, and see finance as an active contributor to the airline's operation. It concentrates on practical matters, explaining frequently used financial and accounting terms, how financial strategy works, the uses of various types of financial reporting, as well as what financial risk is and how it can be managed through the co-operation of finance and operating staff. Staff who understand the airline's finances and financial system are more likely to make decisions which align with the airline's strategy and objectives. They will also know how to use the financial information which is available. The book establishes a good foundation of financial knowledge for all staff. This book is recommended reading for new employees in airline finance and related areas, as well as those starting to move up the supervisory ladder in an airline.

This textbook provides a detailed overview of industry-specific business management and technology management practices in aerospace for relevant bachelors and MBA programs. The Aerospace Business: Management and Technology sequentially addresses familiar management disciplines such as production management, labor relations, program management, business law, quality assurance, engineering management, supply-chain management, marketing, and finance, among others. In this context it analyzes and discusses the distinctive perspective and requirements of the aerospace industry. The book also includes subjects of special interest such as government intervention in the sector and strategies to deal with the environmental impact of aircraft. As each chapter deals with a separate management discipline, the material reviews the historical background, technical peculiarities, and financial factors that led the aerospace industry to evolve its own distinct practices and tradition. Theoretical bases of the practices are explained, and the chapters provide actual examples from the industry to illustrate application of the theories. The material is compiled, organized, and analyzed in ways that often provide original perspectives of the subject matter. University students, particularly in programs oriented towards aviation and aerospace management, will find the book to be directly applicable to their studies. It is also extremely appropriate for aerospace MBA and executive MBA programs, and would suit specialized corporate or government training programs related to aerospace.

Air safety is right now at a point where the chances of being killed in an aviation accident are far lower than the chances to winning a jackpot in any of the major lotteries. However, keeping or improving that performance level requires a critical analysis of some events that, despite scarce, point to structural failures in the learning process. The effect of these failures could increase soon if there is not a clear and right development path. This book tries to identify what is wrong, why there are things to fix, and some human factors principles to keep in aircraft design and operations. Features Shows, through different events, how the system learns through technology, practices, and regulations and the pitfalls of that learning process Discusses the use of information technology in safety-critical environments and why procedural knowledge is not enough Presents air safety management as a successful process, but at the same time, failures coming from technological and organizational features are shown Offers ways to improve from the human factors side by getting the right lessons from recent events

Africa is the smallest of the 'regional' aviation markets but one that Boeing and others expect to expand over the medium term. Developments on the continent that require the creation of robust and efficient air transport include growth in tourism, the export of 'exotics', and the emergence of modern manufacturing and high-tech industries. Africa's regional aviation markets generally lack good airports and air traffic control, viable airlines, and adequately skilled labour. Airline safety is also a major concern. Written by a 'Who's Who' of aviation specialists and policy makers, The Economics and Political Economy of African Air Transport fills an emerging void in the literature regarding Africa's aviation markets. Its original papers focus explicitly on the economic and political dimensions of the subject, although with relevance to the strategic planning and management of airlines and their associated infrastructure. Topics discussed include external and internal market efficiencies, air service liberalization, the emergence of new carriers, safety and security, low cost airline and other business models, and airport economics. Focusing on the broader issues surrounding the subject, this book will be of interest to both the aviation community and those with an interest in economic and social development.

The air transport industry has high economic impact; it supports more than 60 million jobs worldwide. Since the early years of commercial air travel, passenger numbers have grown tremendously. However, for decades airlines' financial results have been swinging between profits and losses. The airline industry's aggregate net average profit between 1970 and 2010 was close to zero, which implies bankruptcies and layoffs in downturns. The profit cycle's amplitude has been rising over time, which means that problems have become increasingly severe and also shows that the industry may not have learned from the past. More stable financial results could not only facilitate airline management decisions and improve investors' confidence but also preserve employment. This book offers a thorough understanding of the airline profit cycle's causes and drivers, and it presents measures to achieve a higher and more stable profitability level. This is the first in-depth examination of the airline profit cycle. The airline industry is modelled as a complex dynamic system, which is used for quantitative simulations of 'what if' scenarios. These experiments reveal that the general economic environment, such as GDP or fuel price developments, influence the airline industry's profitability pattern as well as certain regulations or aircraft manufactures' policies. Yet despite all circumstances, simulations show that airlines' own management decisions are sufficient to generate higher and more stable profits in the industry. This book is useful for aviation industry decision makers, investors, policy makers, and researchers because it explains why the airline industry earns or loses money. This knowledge will advance forecasting and market intelligence. Furthermore, the book offers practitioners different suggestions to sustainably improve the airline industry's profitability. The book is also recommended as a case study for system analysis as well as industry cyclicality at graduate or postgraduate level for courses such as engineering, economics, or management.

For civil aviation to progress it has never been just about technology and business practices. To go from the rudiments of the early services that plied across short distances in Europe and America to what we experience today required most of all that politicians and policy-makers address the central problems of national sovereignty over air space and national ownership and control over airlines. Those problems have plagued the development of seamless and efficient air services for consumers in the international sphere. One would have thought that international airlines might have led the way towards a uniform globalized system given the nature of their enterprise, but that has definitely not been the case. Sovereignty and security issues have more often than not trumped commercial arguments for a more level playing field for international airlines. There has thus been an on-going tussle between sovereignty, state security and mercantilist practices on the one hand and the ambition for civil aviation to flourish on the other. As one early commentator put it:' one is convinced that the sovereign state cannot be left without authority over what happens just above its territory, (but) ... one shrinks from the idea that aerial navigation could be the object of narrow-minded restrictions.' How those narrow-minded restrictions were gradually eroded, though still not eliminated, to enable civil aviation to flourish is at the heart of this work. This book will be of direct interest to students of aviation, modern history, international relations and transport. It is also of value to airline industry professionals and government transport departments.

This book, first published in 1965, illustrates the world of management in the airline industry. It examines the external relations with customers, government, investors, suppliers and competitors, as well as internal relations within the business such as organization and industrial relations.

The British airliners we see today in our airports are the result of numerous takeovers and mergers, involving large and small companies. This book covers some of these airlines that have ceased operating since 1946: some collapsed because of financial difficulties, some were taken over by larger airlines, and some ceased operating altogether. In post-war Britain, several small airlines were founded and equipped with surplus military aircraft, the most popular being the Douglas Dakota. The book is a guide to each airline, accompanied by a brief historical account, and interesting images of the aircraft in their distinctive colour schemes. The airlines covered are a selection of large and small aircraft, who flew international and regional routes, as well as airlines involved in inclusive tours business.

International Air Carrier Liability brings together essential treaties and airline-to-airline agreements on air carrier liability, safety and security, and supplements these with expert commentary and analysis. The examination considers the general regulatory framework of international civil aviation (including the Chicago Convention and related documents) and how the liability regime fits within that framework. The book is divided into three parts: dealing in turn with liability, safety and security, and civil aviation regulation. Part I, for example, provides comment and analysis of the international air-carrier liability regime, how the main liability conventions operate, and the application of these conventions to international carriage by air (passengers, baggage and cargo). Given its subject matter and the universal state party participation in these conventions, this book has truly global application. David Hodgkinson and Rebecca Johnston aim to provide a reference aid for legal practitioners (at law firms, airlines, manufacturers, aviation-related corporations and government departments and agencies), as well as academics, students (undergraduate and post graduate) and government officials regarding treaties, domestic laws and documents concerned with these vital legal issues.

From the few tickets that were sold by Alaska Airlines and former British Midland in December 1995 via the industry's first airline booking engine websites, global online travel has grown to generate today more than half a trillion dollars in annual revenue. This development has brought significant changes to the airline business, travel markets, and consumers. Today, airlines worldwide not only use e-commerce for online marketing and selling but also as a platform to offer unique services and capabilities that have no counterpart in the physical world. This book is an in-depth introduction to airline e-commerce. It covers a broad scope of areas that are essential to an airline's ongoing digital transformation. Digital properties & features E-marketing E-sales & distribution Web customer service E-commerce organization E-commerce strategy Written by an airline e-commerce expert and illustrated with numerous examples of leading airlines in this area, Dr. Hanke provides for comprehensive "behind-the-scenes" details of how airline e-commerce works. This book is a crucial companion for students and practitioners alike because it allows the reader to acquire a thorough foundation of airline e-commerce. Furthermore, the book enables the reader to appreciate the ramifications of airline e-commerce in certain corporate areas and to take effective action for a successful e-commerce strategy.

The global space sector has always been regarded as a cutting-edge field, futuristic and at the forefront of innovation. In recent years, the sector has undergone massive change, giving rise to a high-technology niche worth over $330 billion in revenues worldwide and growing. That process, encompassing a greater and more diverse set of actors, has been described as the "democratization of space." Above and Beyond: Exploring the Business of Space provides a comprehensive and current overview of the business of space and its distinctive competitive dynamics. The book explores the commercialization of space, taking the reader on a journey from the era of the Space Race up to the present and beyond. Focusing on both state and commercial actors, the book provides an exhaustive panoramic view of an area of growing human endeavour and ambition that is both informative and fascinating. As the business of space continues to develop and grow at a remarkable pace, the book offers a thoughtful and timely analysis of its past, present and future scenarios. While providing a critical assessment of the business of space, this book offers valuable insights to academics, policy makers and anyone with a keen interest in the sector, as well as useful lessons from emerging commercial and traditional space actors that have broader applicability to other industries and their managers.

This book provides indispensable knowledge for practitioners in aircraft financing. It presents an innovative framework that treats valuation analysis as a systematic effort in problem-solving directed at rational financial decision-making. It incorporates much of the modern approach to financial investment decision-making. It proposes essential tools of flexibility, adaptability, and commonality of aircraft financial analyses that apply to an almost infinite variety of valuation problem situations. Once these connections have been introduced, the reader will be equipped with an understanding of the underlying concepts of aircraft valuation processes and techniques and the subsequent financing alternatives available to fund aircraft assets. This is an essential book for airline professionals, aircraft leasing companies, consultants, bankers, government officials, and students of aircraft finance. It is an approachable resource for those without a formal background in finance.

A captain must be able not only to fly the aircraft, but also to manage it, manage the crew, and above all, manage his or her resources. In a number of air carriers there may be less than adequate additional training conducted, when upgrading pilots to the very responsible position of captain. However, three things that do not change are the authority, challenges, and responsibilities of being captain. They are as constant today as they will be in the years ahead. Aircraft Command Techniques is a comprehensive examination of the characteristics of the experienced captain. Each chapter begins with an appropriate and relevant anecdote that is analogous to the chapter's main theme. It then progresses to the chapter's main objective and finishes with a scenario that the reader is asked to solve from a captain's perspective using a number of considerations that are offered and should be evaluated when solving the problem. The intent is to help the pilot practise thinking as a captain. Offering a wealth of practical guidance, this book is an ideal platform for pilots or indeed anyone interested in how leadership and management skills are used to achieve excellence. The reader will gain important command skills and will learn how to apply these skills to routine and unexpected situations, in the same way as an experienced captain. The intended readership includes those worldwide in aviation universities and flight schools, in major airlines, in regional and cargo airlines, pilots upgrading to captain and those interested in leadership skill development.

This book is an account of the management and environmental aspects of marketing a major airline, at a time of rapid growth in the aviation industry. It brings out the problems involved in marketing a service as distinct from a commodity, and highlights the special aspects which flow from government interest in aviation and the peculiarities of the aviation market. Other chapters cover market research, an analytical review of airline pricing and co-operative agreements between airlines, as well as product planning and the marketing processes once the schedules are on sale.

For civil aviation to progress it has never been just about technology and business practices. To go from the rudiments of the early services that plied across short distances in Europe and America to what we experience today required most of all that politicians and policy-makers address the central problems of national sovereignty over air space and national ownership and control over airlines. Those problems have plagued the development of seamless and efficient air services for consumers in the international sphere. One would have thought that international airlines might have led the way towards a uniform globalized system given the nature of their enterprise, but that has definitely not been the case. Sovereignty and security issues have more often than not trumped commercial arguments for a more level playing field for international airlines. There has thus been an on-going tussle between sovereignty, state security and mercantilist practices on the one hand and the ambition for civil aviation to flourish on the other. As one early commentator put it:' one is convinced that the sovereign state cannot be left without authority over what happens just above its territory, (but) ... one shrinks from the idea that aerial navigation could be the object of narrow-minded restrictions.' How those narrow-minded restrictions were gradually eroded, though still not eliminated, to enable civil aviation to flourish is at the heart of this work. This book will be of direct interest to students of aviation, modern history, international relations and transport. It is also of value to airline industry professionals and government transport departments.

As a barefoot lad in the Outer Hebrides, Bill Innes dreamed the impossible dream of becoming a pilot and this book tells how that dream came to pass. The author's career of over forty years spanned a period of incredible advances in the air - now regarded as a golden era in aviation. After gaining his RAF wings in Canada he really started to learn his trade by flying pre-war Dakotas for British European Airways around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland - one of the most testing aviation-operating areas in the world. The experience was to stand him in good stead as he moved to London to fly classic 20th century British aircraft such as the Viscount, Comet, Vanguard and Trident. The narrative comes alive through tales of the many characters encountered in a time before flight recorders. There are authentic versions of some of the most famous anecdotes in the folklore of the sky, but also reflections on training philosophy and techniques which have a relevance outwith aviation. Along the way he explored his limits, barnstorming vintage aircraft in Tiger Club displays - surviving one breach of those limits which should have proved fatal! Progressing to being a training captain, Bill was happy to pass on his experience to colleagues. As one of the team that introduced the Boeing 757 to British Airways, post-retirement, he was privileged to be the trainer on the first flights of charter airlines such as Air 2000 and Canada 3000 before his swansong, flying long range Boeing 767s for Alitalia. Technical background is lightened by the thread of humour which runs throughout and there are also some sage words of comfort for the nervous passenger.

While there are a multitude of publications on corporate finance and financial management, only a few address the complexity of air transport industry finance and scant attention has been given to airport financial management. This book deals exclusively with airport issues to rectify this. It does this with an analysis of the theoretical concepts relevant to the subject area combined with a detailed investigation of current practice within the industry. Airport Finance and Investment in the Global Economy bridges the gap between much academic research on airports published in recent years - lacking much managerial relevance - and real-world airport financial management. This is achieved by featuring expert analysis of contemporary issues specific to airport finance and funding strategies, illustrated by worked examples from a wide range of different countries to enhance understanding and create a global perspective. The book is designed to appeal to both practitioners and academics. Airport-specific topics include: performance measurement and benchmarking, valuation, tools for financial control and management, alternatives of financing, privatisation, competition and implications of economic regulation.

In 2009, cabin crew in the BASSA union embarked on a historic, two-year battle against British Airways which was seeking to impose reduced crew levels and to transform working conditions. In the face of employer hostility, legal obstruction, government opposition and adverse media coverage, this workforce, diverse in terms of gender, sexuality, race and nationality undertook determined resistance against this offensive. Notably, their action included twenty-two days of strike action that saw mass participation in rallies and on picket lines. The dispute cost British Airways 150 million in lost revenue and its main outcome was the cabin crew's successful defence of their union and core conditions. Here, in their own words, Cabin Crew Conflict tells the strikers' story, focusing on cabin crew responses, perceptions of events, and their lived experiences of taking industrial action in a hostile climate. Foregrounding questions of class, gender and identity, and how these were manifest in the course of the dispute, the authors highlight the strike's significance for contemporary employment relations in and beyond the aviation industry. Lively and insightful, Cabin Crew Conflict explores the organisational and ideological role of the trade union, and shows how a 'non-traditional' workforce can organise and take effective action.

Space policy is at the cutting edge of current EU policy developments and is a fascinating object of study, involving multiple and diverse actors. It is also an original and contemporary lens for studying European policy-making. This book explores advances in European space policy and their significance for European integration. Using a 'framing' methodology, it addresses central questions in European studies in order to form an interdisciplinary bridge between current research in space policy and contemporary European political studies. It assesses the interests of EU institutions in space and how these institutions perceive space policy. Furthermore, it demonstrates that space is a cross-cutting policy domain affecting a diverse range of EU policy fields, such as security, transport and migration, and underpinning the 21st century European and global economy. In doing so, this volume firmly locates space policy in the field of European Studies. This innovative volume will be of key interest to students and scholars of a range of policy areas including common foreign and security policy, technology policy, transport policy, internal market policies, environmental policy, development aid and disaster-risk management, as well as the EU institutions.

The Assault on Labor details the 1986 Independent Federation of Flight Attendants (IFFA) strike against Trans World Airlines (TWA), one of the most dramatic instances of the heightened labor conflict in the 1980s. Using extensive court, union, and company documents, The Assault on Labor shows how the expanded use of permanent replacements in labor disputes has fundamentally altered workers' legal right to strike. Set within one of the biggest corporate raids of the time, it was a strike of a predominantly female labor force that garnered respect throughout the labor movement for its solidarity and determination. Faced with the permanent replacement of over 5000 strikers, IFFA waged a three year struggle to return all workers to the line, mobilizing political, economic, and legal actions to secure their jobs and survive as a union. Despite critical successes in the courts in the aftermath of the strike, the Supreme Court would render a decision that further strengthened permanent replacements. Since the 1980s, labor's major form of protest, the right to strike, has all but disappeared.