Air Transport Master Classes

The air transport industry is changing rapidly. Therefore, it is important to have economic instruments at hand that give you an insight into the strategic decisions of the key industry actors. Each strategic move of an individual airline has immediate and substantial consequences for the rest of the air transport chain and impacts the competitive relations within the industry.

This course on Air Transport Economics & Business is developed to provide a sound knowledge and understanding of key economic and regulatory issues affecting the air transport industry. The course includes guest lectures from high-level industry professionals as well as renowned academics in the field of air transport economics. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to deepen their practical knowledge through a number of excursions (e.g. DHL, Brussels Airlines, Eurocontrol).

In the air transport chain, airports are crucial transfer points for both passengers and cargo. This course will provide participants with insights into the key issues of airport management. Different elements influencing the demand, supply, equilibrium, and competitiveness of airports will be discussed. Furthermore, the role of different actors in the airport management process will be addressed. This course includes guest lectures from experienced industry professionals as well as well-known professors in the field of airport management. Participants will also have the opportunity to deepen their practical knowledge through a number of excursions.

The air transport industry is often seen as a laboratory for the design and implementation of new pricing mechanisms. This course zooms in on pricing as a key strategic tool in air transport and considers in detail the various aspects of its theoretical underpinning. Both traditional and innovative pricing systems will be discussed in relation to spill rates, rate reduction, rate restrictions, dynamic slot allocation, multiple discount classes, and route assignment. The scope of this course goes beyond airlines to the pricing strategies of other players in the air transport industry.

After this course, you will (be):

• understand the role, business economic functioning and competitive strategies of all actors in the aviation value chain;
• understand the relationships between the different actors in the aviation value chain;
• understand the impact of public policy and regulatory issues that shape the air transport industry;
• understand the economic and financial concepts relevant to the air transport industry;
• understand the commercial pressures faced by airline managers;
• be able to carry out independent research about a problem or topic affecting the current air transport industry;
• familiar with the different facets of airport management;
• aware of the different actors playing a part in airport management and their underlying relationships;
• able to analyze and solve specific problems of airport management;
• able to prepare, carry out and follow up policy related advice concerning the broader area of airport management;
• able to critically assess the management of an airport;
  
• able to critically assess your own research results or solutions to complex cases concerning airport management;
• able to comprehensively present and report your results in good English, adapted to the target audience.
  

You will understand key concepts on:

• the scope of economic and financial effects produced by pricing;
  
• the scope of price and revenue optimization;
  
• the role of pricing in business development strategies;
  
• strategic diversification related to capacity allocation, overbooking, markdown, etc.;
  
• non-uniform pricing;
  
• pricing with supply constraints;
  
• pricing under public service obligations constraints;
  
• pricing for policy analysis.