BSc (Hons) Airline, Airport and Aviation Management

This module will give an overview of the modern-day cargo industry and its operational challenges and opportunities. The module will focus on how the industry has evolved and who the key players are within it. It will examine trends in existing and emergent markets and the increasing role of technology within the sector. The module will also look at relevant key pricing aspects as they relate to both normal cargo and, abnormal outsize cargo. The Module will also look to study patterns in traffic flows and, a study of topical issues applicable to air cargo managers in today’s turbulent trading environment.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of the importance and relevance of cargo to the aviation industry in terms of traffic movements, key players and contribution to GDP.
• Knowledge of how the cargo industry has evolved and, the operational and resource requirements of the sector as we move towards increased technological implementation and electronic documentation.
• An ability to understand trends, specialist freight movement requirements and market characteristics of the industry
• To comprehend how costs and prices work within the sector

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; IT; literacy; applied analysis; entrepreneurship, critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving.

The module introduces fundamentals of Arline Operations, current issues and its applications in the industry. Airline operations present a striking dichotomy. Each day, airlines safely transport millions of passengers around the world. Often, however, they fail to deliver on the ordinary e.g. ground crew turning up late to open doors, loss of bags, millions of pounds in chronically underutilised aircraft etc.

Airlines have not given their operations factory like industrial-engineering scrutiny. A high percentage of an airline’s cost structure consists of maintenance, ground handling, in-flight services, call centres and aircraft acquisitions. At stake, there is an opportunity to reduce overall costs dramatically by using labour, materials and assets more efficiently, to enhance the reliability of service.

This module teaches students the extent of the problems and how airlines solve them within the industry’s regulatory and economic constraints. Its aim is for students to have a solid background on certification, rules of the air, cost structures, profitability issues and all the necessary complex activities which are required for an aircraft to fly from A to B. The interrelationship between different stakeholders is also explored in this module.

The focus of this module is to equip students to understand organisations in contexts past, present and future, and enable them to analyse the macro, micro, internal and external business and economic environments in which they operate. An understanding of the environments will facilitate the interpretation of situations and enable decisions that add value for businesses. The focus of the module is on the external and internal influences on organizations and the effect these have on business practices.

The module is designed to be used by Level 4 undergraduate students on a range of programmes. Examples, illustrations and case studies will be drawn from chosen industry sectors such as aviation, finance, transport, tourism, and applied to reinforce basic concepts. This will enhance the ability of students to understand particular business problems and aspects of the business and economic environment. Topics and case studies will cover business issues that are contemporary and relevant to the real world.

This module will provide an overview of the important functions of airport management for the seamless operation of the aviation system. Airports have a vital role in processing of air passengers and air cargo to ensure that the aviation system functions safely and securely. Airports are complex businesses and have a range of attributes including being land-lords, providing infrastructure (terminals and runways), providing retailing environments, providing the operational environment for airlines. Of course, there are many different types of commercial airports, small (local) airports, regional airports, international airports and global hubs etc.

The focus of this module is management issues facing airport operators and these operators differ in their ownership structures, management structures and regulatory frameworks. It is therefore important to set the ‘management’ of airports in the context of global development of the aviation system and to distinguish airports operating in the ‘private’ sector and those in the ‘state’ sector and various positions in between. The United Kingdom has been particularly dynamic in developing the ‘privatisation sector’ of airports because of decisions made by the Thatcher government to ‘sell off’ state operations very early in the 20th century. As a result, the UK is ahead in many consequences of introducing the profit incentive to improve efficiency of airport operators.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of the importance of airports to the economic well-being of regions and countries as vital growth poles and as a result the significance to the country involved.
• Knowledge of the key features and interfaces for airport ‘management’
• Understanding of the important performance benchmarks for airports
• Comprehension of the issues of service quality and the airport passenger experience
• The need for airports to provide commercial facilities such as retailing environments
• Airport competition and the role of airport marketing and master planning for development

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; IT; literacy; applied analysis; entrepreneurship, critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving.

The module aims to provide an understanding of the marketing process in contemporary organisations and in the context of tangible goods and services. The service sector accounts for a significant proportion of GDP and employment in most developed economies and therefore it becomes essential for students to gain insight within the area. In this module, students are introduced to a range of marketing theories such as the marketing concept, consumer behaviour, business environmental analysis, marketing research, consumer insights applicable to tangible goods and services marketing.

The module aims to:

• Provide an understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical application of marketing
• Provide an appreciation of contemporary issues in marketing.
• Develop students’ academic writing, application of knowledge and data interpreting skills.
• Develop students’ researching and analysing skills.

This Professional Practice module will enhance the students’ understanding of what it means to be an industry professional in their respective context. This module will support the preparation for their future career by encouraging them to develop, put into practice and evidence the skills and behaviours that employers want to see.

The ‘Professional Practice’ approach ensures that as a developing professional the students understand how to learn effectively and efficiently either in the workplace or in a simulated context. They also learn how to use all the resources available to reflect on their progress. This module involves planning, conducting and reflecting on their own ‘performance episodes*’ and a more general reflection on their overall professional development to date. The written reports and reflections become part of their growth and productivity E-portfolio** which they will maintain throughout their programme.

In addition, they will have the opportunity to test, review and evidence their skills development via the on-line resources provided throughout the programme, which support the general skills required by employers.

As such this module aims to:

• Build understanding of the expected workplace knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes so that they become intrinsic performance and growth motivators.
• Ensure the adoption of skills, attitudes and behaviours that improve self-awareness to aid reflective practice.

*A performance episode is defined as an initiative that the students take, made up of tasks, which develops their skills, and which involves both selecting knowledge from the programme and interacting with others. It must be measurable so that they are able to reflect on their professional skills development.

** The growth and productivity E-portfolio is a digital internet-based tool within which they can store all evidence of their weekly via learning log, feedback from stakeholders, their reflections and their Individual Development Plan (IDP). It allows them to share their journey with others and to organise elements of it to help them progress further.

Data analysis is a top business priority. It drives the opportunity for performance improvement and, with advances in technology and software, data are generated at an ever-increasing rate.

As such, it is not surprising business data analysis and software skills are among the top graduate skills sought by employers today. Understanding and Managing Data, responds to these market demands by providing the underpinning skills required to make effective use of quantitative and statistical analyses and develops students’ interpretation and reporting skills.

The module introduces data-based decision making and performance measurement and provides students with the practical experience of using Excel to transform data into meaningful information. It further introduces students to forecasting, target setting and project management. As such, it provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of statistical methods for business decision making. In doing so, it provides the skills and knowledge required for levels 5 and 6 modules, including the dissertation and consultancy project, that develop and evaluate the quantitative aspects of business management.

Overall, this module develops the analytical and communication skills relevant to understanding business information, with an emphasis on problem-solving techniques in the context of business management, decision making and performance measurement.

The focus of this module is management and the development of students as managers. Managers are crucial to getting things done, for example, they plan, organise, lead and coordinate the work of others in order to meet organisational goals efficiently and effectively.

The challenges of managing in today’s ever-changing, increasingly uncertain, complex economic environment requires managers to have the knowledge, ability and skills to take action, such as managing information, delegating tasks, setting goals, building teams, motivating others and, along with numerous other activities, achieve organisational success.

The traditional view of the purpose and role of management in the world of work was to seek stability and efficiency in a top-down hierarchy aimed at achieving bottom-line results. In contrast, the contemporary management approach expects managers to engage in motivating people and harnessing their creativity, sharing information and power, leading change, and finding shared vision and values in an increasingly diverse and complex workplace.

Today’s managers require the knowledge and ability to draw on both traditional and contemporary approaches to management when formulating workplace decisions. They also need the skills, tools, and techniques to manage their own career trajectory based on the acquisition of sound employability skills and accompanying behaviours.

In addition to knowledge, the module focuses on developing students as managers which involves the ability to interact with, and motivate, a diverse range of people.

The module aims are to:

• Enable students to identify and explain major developments in the history of managerial thought; provide students with the opportunity to develop management, leadership and employability capability to enhance their individual potential;
• Develop students’ appreciation of the different management approaches that can be used when managing in uncertain and complex environments;

Enable students to develop their management and employability skills, such as critical thinking and writing, interpersonal skills, self-management, communication, team-working, problem solving, and presentation skills, in order to maximise their competitive edge in the business world.

The module introduces the key themes and understanding for the development of new routes. The importance of route development cannot be underestimated for commercial airlines and is a combination of issues such as the markets available and the ability of the airline to launch operations into the market successfully by understanding the critical factors such as aircraft selection and performance and finance.

• The industry structure and outlook are critical to understanding how airlines assess their market opportunities, so this requires global knowledge of the industry.
• The management of commercial airline operations is the heartbeat of the ability to grow a profitable network and the module introduces an understanding of the specialist functions within the department.
• The steps of route planning process are critically important to the development of profitable route networks and this is central of the commercial airline sustainability.
• Aircraft performance features are again critical to the development of sustainable commercial airline operations and the module will evaluate these features of aircraft.

All successful airlines need to master their market position and technical competencies to ensure success and the management of ‘fares’ is central to this. Pricing and revenue management are at the heart of every airline’s competency and thus of paramount importance. Strategic positions require airlines to understand the competitive environment and the ‘price’ points for both leisure and business travel segments. Pricing and revenue management are therefore critical to survival in the global air travel market.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of the importance of the ‘pricing’ airline products and balancing revenue against costs
• Development of the pricing strategies and revenue management strategies for different types of airlines business models
• To appreciate the opportunities for new revenue streams from ancillary revenues and the de-bundling of airline products

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; IT; literacy; applied analysis; entrepreneurship, critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving.

Human factors (HF) and our understanding of its effects on safety performance continues to evolve and develop. The human element is vital to the safe and efficient operations of all aspects of the aviation industry. Recently, a better understanding of human behaviour has resulted in significant safety benefits with human factors discipline forming a cornerstone of every aviation safety management programme. This module looks into how an understanding of operational personnel attitudes, behaviours and mental wellbeing can help reduce HF risks to aviation safety.

Another interesting area which explains some of the reasons why operational personnel make errors is Aviation Psychology. Aviation psychology involves the study of human behaviours, actions, cognitive and emotional processes in the aviation field and also investigates the psychological problems encountered in the work place. In this module psychological principles will also be applied to the aviation industry to look into the effects of sleep patterns, central nervous systems, mental functioning etc. on the behaviour and performance of operational personnel.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of elements of aviation psychology and human factors and their application in the aviation industry
• Knowledge on some of the issues facing crew interaction within the commercial aviation industry
• Knowledge to apply models to identify enabling factors which might lead to aviation incidents and accidents
• An understanding of factors which affect the mental stability of operational personnel

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; literacy; applied analysis; critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving.

The aviation industry has a huge number of interdependent factions within it and this leads to vast operational complexities. This together with a highly regulated industry, a competitive and dynamic external environment and a substantial level of Government involvement has the potential to expose airlines and airports alike, to a vast array of risks and uncertainties, both internally and externally.

This module examines the key aspects of safety and security issues as they pertain to the aviation accidents and incidents including regulations and processes currently employed in the sector. It examines the role of regulators and relevant Government agencies and international organisations in promoting effective safety and security management through the use of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Security Management Systems (SeMS).

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of current best practice that is being promoted by competent regulators and international aviation organisations in enhancing safety and security of the industry.
• Knowledge and understanding of the systems and procedures used to make commercial flying an exceptionally safe form of transport via an understanding of SMS.
• Tools that can be used to select and implement techniques for the identification, quantification and management of hazards, threats and risks.
• To comprehend how SeMS procedures can be integrated into airport and airline operations.

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; literacy; applied analysis; critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation and problem solving.

The aviation and travel industry has a huge number of interdependent factions within it and this leads to vast operational complexities. This together with a highly regulated industry, a competitive and dynamic external environment and a substantial level of Government involvement has the potential expose this sector and, airlines and airports alike, to a vast array of risks and uncertainties, both internally and externally. Because of the very nature of those risks, there are many uncertainties and disruptive events and this module seeks to understand how to put in place a co-ordinated, effective response that mitigates the effect of such events and minimises harm to an organisation’s stakeholders.

This module will explore the types of risk that the aviation and travel sector are exposed to and, what possible solutions might be put forward to mitigate against these. The module also seeks to understand what crisis management is and how to effectively apply it to the aviation industry.

More specifically the module will help develop the students understanding of how to assess, evaluate, mitigate and monitor risks as they pertain to the sector.

The module aims are as follows;

• To develop students understanding of theoretical modules for risk and crisis management
• To allow students to identify good practice and lessons learnt from both the sector itself and, related industries.
• To build a practical knowledge base of the resource requirements and facilities necessary for airlines, airports and the travel industry to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible in sub optimal business environments
• To enable students to assess risks and develop robust business contingency plans to mitigate against such risks.

This module will address the critical issue of how current thinking on climate change and sustainability will impact on businesses and organisation. The need to create more sustainable organisations and businesses is fundamental to current and future organisational development strategies. It is necessary for students to understand the growing influence of the sustainability agenda on industry. This influence takes on many forms, from government policies and international agreements to the measuring the impacts of organisational practices on the ecology and communities. In the future, organisations, businesses, communities and individuals will be expected to understand and take responsibility for their economic, environmental and social impacts. This module will examine the current and future challenges. It will equip students to deal with the challenge of creating sustainable forms of business that operate within ecological and socio-economic limits.

It will explore the sustainability context, and how business practices will need to evolve to reflect the realities of operating within a globalised trading system that is striving to apply sustainability principles.

The overarching aim of the module is to ensure that students develop a full understanding of what is meant by sustainability, who decides what constitutes sustainability principles and how these principles are applied. It will explore the varied tools and techniques used to apply sustainability principles, by governments, business and communities, and the challenges and conflicts these present. Such appreciation will be developed progressively via more specific aims which are:

• To engage with the growing international debate and practice around sustainability, business and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• To evaluate how this will challenge organisations and business.
• To examine tools and techniques for evaluating and implementing of sustainability
• To analyse the evolving policy frameworks within which business operates.
• To understand how changing environmental realities may affect business practice

The module also aims to assist students in the acquisition of the following skills:

1. Academic reading
2. Researching
3. Problem-solving and decision making
4. Critical thinking and writing
5. Application of knowledge and presenting data
6. Academic writing

Consultancy is big business and the sector continues to experience strong growth. The UK consultancy industry alone employs more than 80,000 professionals and is worth an estimated £12 billion per annum; making it the second largest consultancy base in the world.

Management consulting involves engaging with stakeholders to provide objective, specialist advice. It is concerned with diagnosing issues and inefficiencies, solving problems, improving performance and implementing solutions to deliver complex change, maximise growth and to create value for organisations.

The Practice of Consultancy develops the practical research and consultancy skills required for a career in Business Analyses and Management Consultancy and prepares students for the final year Consultancy Project. Specifically, the module introduces research methods for consultancy and aims to develop a practical understanding of the tools and techniques of problem analysis and issue clarification. A range of business frameworks are applied to structure diagnostic analyses and thinking, whilst data, metrics and analytics are evaluated to inform the process and to provide the client with evidence-based solutions. Finally, this module aims to develop students’ communication skills through the preparation of a report to present the outcome of the consultation to their client.

Management consulting covers a broad range of activities and, to be effective, a consultant needs to be client-oriented and solution-focused. Expertise, resourcefulness, an analytical mind, creative thinking, an ability to manage relationships, empathy and excellent communication skills are essential to building trust and ensuring recommendations are implemented. By taking an applied, problem-solving approach, this module encourages students to enhance their competencies in these areas.

Transferable skills

Student will develop a range of key skills and knowledge, including:

• Critical evaluation, problem identification and problem-solving skills
• Research skills (quantitative and qualitative research)
• Numeracy
• Analytic, divergent and creative thinking
• Communication (critical reading, interviewing, listening, negotiating, advising, presenting and report writing skills)

Selling is an essential function of business. This module provides students with the opportunity to gain and develop essential selling and negotiation knowledges and skills. It will particularly consider the international perspective in selling to prepare the students for the importance of taking into account the richness of our current global context.

The module supports several courses, as it addresses an important marketing management function that includes understanding the selling function and developing it to improve the overall business effectiveness. There has been regular research confirming employers’ need for employees with selling skills as they argue that ‘selling is a life-blood of businesses’ since businesses cannot survive without effective results from this important function. Accordingly, the understanding of this business function should give students the edge over other students without such knowledge when seeking employment opportunities. Past students of this module have confirmed the importance of undertaking this module in helping them find a job. Additionally, selling has a broader perspective as it enables students to learn how to be more persuasive while remaining ethical in their business transactions.

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.

The module introduces the key themes and understanding for airport planning and development which is a complex agenda that requires strategic over-sight. Airports are unique businesses that have many stakeholders and uniquely require local support as well as government support to succeed. They also have a unique relationship with airlines as they are symbiotic operators with airlines.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of the context for airport planning and development
• The role of master planning and reasons for this process
• The importance of stakeholders in the aviation airport planning process

This module provides a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding on brands, brand equity and strategic brand management. It outlines the concepts and framework of branding, which are crucial in designing, implementing marketing campaigns as well as activities to build, measure and manage brand equity. It provides students with the tools and techniques to improve long-term profitability via creating effective brand strategies.

Aims of the module:

• Explore the role of branding from a corporate and consumer perspective.
• Examine the theory of branding.
• Develop students’ understanding of the role played by marketing communications in the building and maintenance of brands in the Aviation industry.
• Develop students’ researching and analysing skills.
• Develop students’ critical writing, application of knowledge and decision-making skills.

Financial decision making is important for any and every business. This natural mental process needs to be informed to select a course of action from several alternative options. One of the most essential elements that help to facilitate the implementation of the business strategy in an organisation is Finance. The financial manager of an organisation plays a central role in making decisions on optimum utilisation of financial resources and assess the implications for shareholders and other stakeholders, and the need for effective corporate governance. Therefore, managers require critical understanding of key financial management issues, aviation performance indicators and methodologies relating to financial management frameworks. Managers use these tools when they are faced with making financial decisions in the aviation business environment. This module provides students with knowledge about financial decision making approaches and control systems aviation businesses use to make managerial decisions.

The module also provides the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the impact of financial decisions. It enables learners of today, who are managers of tomorrow, to participate in decision making processes concerning the utilisation of finances in investment, financial and risk management, and the delivery of value for money in achieving the objectives of the business. Although managers are not always required to perform detailed financial analysis, they need to have a clear understanding of how the process of financial management and decision-making work to ascertain that decisions are properly made and implemented and that apposite risk management systems are in place.

The module focuses on fundamentals of aviation financial management, the need for accounting and finance, financial governance, making capital investment decisions, balancing risk and return, tools of financial analysis, interpretations and planning, reading financial reports, cost challenges in decision making, working capital management, sources of finance, cost- passenger volume-profit analysis and its use in managerial decisions and planning.

This final-year core module “Leading Innovation in the Aviation Industry” aims to enable students to study and apply in practice:

• A range of leadership theories and techniques to critically evaluate and develop their own personal leadership style relevant to the industry
• A range of leadership theories and techniques to critically evaluate contemporary innovation practice, and organisations in a range of industries engaged with innovation practice in the Aviation industry
• A range of innovation theories and techniques to critically evaluate contemporary innovation processes, and organisations in the Aviation industry
• The synergies between leadership and innovation in the context of the Aviation industry

The Module will be based around two themes:

• Theme 1: Leadership, where they will study, reflect on, and use leadership theories and techniques to assess and develop their own personal leadership style. By doing this, students will be closely engaging with and evaluating classic and contemporary theories, and directly applying the ideas from these theories to their own experience and ambitions in general and the Aviation industry in particular.
• Theme 2: Innovation, where they will study, analyse, and evaluate the innovation processes of selected organisations and industries (by critiquing, for example, Case Studies), and how innovation is achieved and operates within the contemporary economy (by critiquing, for example, classic and contemporary examples). In addition, students will study the synergies between leadership and innovation, an emerging area in academic research and in practice. By doing this, students will be closely engaging with and evaluating innovation practice and performance, informed by the leadership theories and techniques covered in Theme 1.

Each theme will conclude with an assignment: Theme 1 will conclude with a team-based formative assignment, and Theme 2 will conclude with a pairs-based summative assignment. Once completed, this Module aims to enable students to understand a long-term time line. Firstly, students will ‘look back’ and be exposed to classic and contemporary leadership texts, so they can critically evaluate and develop their own personal leadership style. Secondly, they will ‘look forward’ and critically evaluate how innovation can further emerge in the economy and society, and how contemporary and future organisations and industries can ensure sustainability through enhanced innovation, blended with enhanced organisational leadership.

‘Service Excellence’ investigates practices and strategies used in managing exceptional relationships between customers and service providers.

Consistent delivery of high-quality service increases customer loyalty, businesses reputation and competitive advantage, hence the module focus lies in the exploration of all aspects of excellent service delivery.

The aim of the module is to provide students with understanding of the importance of service excellence, including reflection on their own professional conduct practices, and equip them with analytical ability to assess and improve service delivery.

The Professional Consultancy / Project is a capstone module in which students will be required to undertake a business project aimed at enhancing their employability as well as providing a platform for further professional development.

This module requires students to undertake and write up an individual project that gives them the opportunity to not only consolidate their learning on the programme, but also to clearly apply their learning in a real-world context. Furthermore, it will provide students with the opportunity to showcase their professional competences built throughout the programme.

If in employment students may choose to use a work-based consultancy project (subject to agreement from their employer). Alternatively, they may choose a project which is research-based.

Students will also be required to present their project via an on-line presentation or podcast. This module gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their professional credibility and to use their academic, business and technical skills in a professional context.

Professional Consultancy Project aims to:

• Demonstrate the ability to utilise and contextualise knowledge by applying analytical skills to a business situation or problem
• Demonstrate the ability to assemble a coherent and a sustained piece of writing that evaluates a business/project problem/solution
• Create an opportunity to further develop a range of skills associated with research including analysis, interpretation, written expression, formal report writing, and self-managed study
• Engage students on a complex, integrated activity that will consolidate and integrate previous skills and learning
• Provide students with a ‘showcase’ opportunity that allows them to demonstrate their ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to a significant and specialised task