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.

This book identifies the premises and prerequisites of the low-cost carriers (LCC) model, and assesses whether it could be successful in less-developed countries, in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specific attention is given to the impact of LCCs on traffic stimulation through lower fares, competition, and fare levels in the market.

Aircraft Operating Leasing A Legal and Practical Analysis in the Context of Public and Private International Air Law Third Edition Donal Patrick Hanley Although aircraft leasing is comparatively young as a commercial activity – less than fifty years old in practical terms – already well over half of the world’s commercial aircraft fleet is leased. The legal significance of aircraft leasing is, therefore, growing very quickly. Bringing together the laws affecting both air travel and leasing can, however, be challenging. This book is the first to assume this task in a major focused way, thus providing invaluable expert guidance to practitioners handling aircraft lease agreements as well as to legal academics and students. In this third edition, the author examines the aircraft operating lease from both a legal and practical point of view and contextualizes it in light of the latest public and private international air law agreements, case law, statutes and regulations from a variety of jurisdictions and current literature in the field: – the obligations and rights of each party; – failure to meet delivery conditions before delivery; – standby letters of credit and guarantees; – regulatory constraints concerning aircraft registration or foreign remittances; – manufacturer’s warranties; – possession and replacement of parts and engines; – sub-leasing; – damage to the aircraft and other loss to lessor; – liability for damage to third parties; – safety issues and lessor’s liability for acts of the airline; – the events that will entitle the lessor to terminate the contract and recover its asset; – issues pertaining to enforcement of remedies; and – governing law. The format broadly follows that of a typical aircraft operating lease. The author flags the principal legal issues to be considered in developing a standard form aircraft operating lease and makes recommendations in that regard. His approach balances the desired commercial outcome with the legal, or more theoretical, mandate to apply the law to disputes that may arise. An immensely useful supplement sets out a real example of a form of aircraft operating lease for a used aircraft, as used by a leading commercial aircraft leasing company. As a detailed examination of each part of the lease with particular reference to the impact on each term of relevant case law, statutes, regulations and international treaties, this work greatly enhances understanding of the legal and practical aspects of the aircraft operating lease.

Airlines follow different strategies of aircraft sourcing and financing. Basic decisions include the choice of buy versus lease and long term versus short term acquisition of aircraft. Additional fleet and fleet planning characteristics include the desired fleet size, average aircraft age, or possible surplus in capacity. Do these variables have an impact on financial success? Taking the perspective of a shareholder, the author uses multivariate regression methodology to evaluate abnormal returns in stock market's reaction to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Financial Crisis 2008, and to aircraft accidents and aircraft orders 1994–2009. In further regression analyses the relationship of fleet variables to a company's revenue growth and profitability is examined. Potential readerships include researchers and practitioners with interest in how decisions could be taken in favor of shareholders in an aircraft fleet planning context.

Revised and updated in its fifth edition, this internationally renowned and respected book provides the essentials to understanding all areas of airline finance. Designed to address each of the distinct areas of financial management in an air transport industry context, it also shows how these fit together, while each chapter and topic – for example, aircraft leasing – provides a detailed resource that can also be consulted separately. Supported at each stage by practical airline examples and recent data, Airline Finance examines the financial trends and longer term prospects for the airline industry as a whole, contrasting the developments for the major regions and airlines together with critical discussion of key issues that affect the industry as a whole. Important techniques in financial analysis are applied to the airlines as well as their investors such as banks and other financial institutions. Thoroughly amended and updated throughout, and expanded with the addition of two new chapters, the fifth edition reflects the many developments that have affected the industry, such as the impacts of the banking and sovereign debt crises on the airline industry, signs of re-nationalisation of airlines that have emerged in Europe, and the substantial changes that have occurred in connection with rating agencies and LIBOR. New start-ups and bankruptcies are covered for the first time in a new chapter, joined by airline mergers and acquisitions (M&A), both playing a role in airline concentration. Reflecting their status as a permanent feature, fuel hedging and fuel surcharges now also have their own chapter. The medium- to long-term future in terms of further concentration and government intervention (or the lack of it) and a shift in aircraft financing towards capital markets are discussed in the final chapter. The book is written for employees of airlines, airports and their suppliers, and investment bank and other analysts. It is also popular for use by universities and in-house courses on air transport management, within both academia and industry.