Airlines are buffeted by fluctuating political and economic landscapes, ever-changing competition, technology developments, globalization, increasing deregulation and evolving customer requirements. As a consequence all sectors of the air transport industry are in a constant state of flux. The principle aim of this book is to review current trends in the airline industry and its related suppliers, thereby providing an insight into the forces that are changing its dynamics. The factors that are reshaping the structure of the industry are examined with a view to identifying the key issues whose impact will be critical in the future. The book features two very distinct sections. The first contains short contributions from industry executives at CEO/VP level from airlines, aircraft/engine manufacturers, safety and navigational provider organisations, who have set out their take of where the airline industry is heading. This commercial input sets the scene for the book and provides the bridge to the second section, which is composed of 18 chapters written by distinguished academic authors. Each chapter presents a valuable insight into a specific area of the air transport industry, including: airlines, airports, cargo, deregulation, the environment, navigation, strategy, information technology, security and tourism. The shared objective of the authors is to describe and explain the core competencies that are determining the current shape of the industry and to examine the forces that will change its direction going forward. The book is written in a management style and will appeal to all levels of personnel who work for airlines across the world. It is also written for airport authorities, aerospace manufacturers, regulatory and government transportation agencies, researchers and students of aviation management, transport studies, tourism and the wider air transport industry.

The submarine emerged as a serious weapons system during the First World War (1914 - 1918). During that conflict Germany with its unrestricted submarine warfare campaign of 1917 nearly drove Great Britain to the negotiating table. Its U-boats sank 6,196 ships of 13,438,632 gross register tons. Despite post-war attempts to ban the submarine from warfare, it survived. Both Italy and Germany used submarines, covertly, during the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939). This book, Part Two of a series, discusses the use of submarines during World War Two (1939 - 1945) and their effectiveness. It focuses principally on two strategic submarine campaigns. The first is about German U-boats against British and neutral commerce. That campaign finally failed during the Battle of The Atlantic in 1943. The second deals with American submarines against Japanese shipping from Southeast Asia to the home islands, a campaign that successfully isolated Japan from its sources of raw materials and foodstuffs during 1944 and effectively defeated Japan.

A very new weapons system, the lurking submarine with its self-propelled torpedoes fired from ambush changed the complexion of naval warfare forever. Both warships and merchant ships were at risk. In 1914 U-boats demonstrated their capability to sink major warships.

During 1915 they turned their attention to merchant ships and began to sink or capture them in wholesale lots. U-boats nearly won the First World War for Germany by forcing Great Britain into peace negotiations in late 1917. U-boats sank or captured over 6,100 ships during WW I. In April 1917 England had only six weeks grain supply left, and apparently had no adequate way to deal with the unrestricted U-boat offensive that Germany unleashed in February of that year.

"Submarine Operational Effectiveness in the 20th Century" deals with the first strategic submarine campaign and its outcome. It goes on to outline submarine development by major nations during the 1920s and 1930s, including submarine use during the Spanish Civil War. It ends in 1939, on the eve of World War Two, a war in which two massive submarine campaigns would be waged: the first by Nazi Germany against the Allies; and the second by the United States against the Empire of Japan.

The book is the second in a series of three dealing with the demonstrated effectiveness of airpower during the 20th Century. The air forces and airpower theories of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the USSR and the United States are described as they operated and found their pre-war airpower theories valid or wanting when subjected to the acid test of combat. The failure of British and American precision bombing dogma is highlighted.

The book is the first in a series of three volumes which explore the actual effectiveness of airpower during the 20th Century. It deals with the functions of military airpower that emerged during World War I on the Eastern and Western Fronts and in the Middle East.

German strategic bombing campaigns against England by Zeppelins and Gotha bombers are described, as is their defeat by British air defenses.

The book explores the development of air doctrine and the concurrent development of air forces, including those of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the USSR and the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, showing their readiness for WW II on its eve.

In addition, the book looks at actual conflicts during the period between WW I and WW II, and discuses the realities encountered in conflict as opposed to theories.

The book reviews the actual effectiveness of military air power in accomplishing desired military and political goals in a number of conflicts following WWII.

During the Korean War and the Vietnam War, U.S. air power attempted a re-run of WWII aerial activities. However, in both conflicts, poltical constraints prevented the United States from achieving its desired political results, although the 1972 B-52 strategic bombing campaign against Hanoi worked to bring the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table.

The Falklands/Malvinas War pitted the UK against Argentina in a remote corner of the South Atlantic. Air power allowed a U.K victory, barely.

The USSR held air supremacy over Afghanistan but was unable to subdue tough Afghan guerrillas, and was finally forced to withdraw after Stinger missiles were introduced.

The Gulf War demonstrated the increasing effectiveness of precision aerial weaponry. The conflict in Kosovo finally produced a result long sought by air power enthusiasts - an end to fighting brought about by air attack alone.