Airline Survival Kit: Breaking Out of the Zero Profit Game

by Nawal K. Taneja

This book has clear aims: to address both the multi-faceted challenge - that the industry has never made any sustainable profits, and some possible opportunities for its different constituents (e.g. management, labor, and governments) to enable airlines to break out of the almost zero profit-margin game. It provides pragmatic insights into: the complexities of the airline business; the actual and perceived obstacles to achieving reasonable profit margin; past and present (successful and unsuccessful) strategies; plausible future prospects for global passenger growth; and alternative airline business models - particularly the type of models that have led to enduring success for a few. The audience includes airline senior executives, members of the board, major shareholders, government policy makers, labor leadership, the airline investment community, aircraft manufacturers.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

awal K. Taneja has over 45 years of experience in the airline industry sector, having worked for and advised major airlines and related businesses worldwide. His experience also includes the presidency of a small airline that provided schedule and charter service with jet aircraft and the presidency of a research organization that provided consulting services to the air transportation community throughout the world. Within the academic community, he has served on the Faculties at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (as an Associate Professor) and at the Ohio State University (Professor and later as Chair of both the Department of Aviation and the Department of Aerospace Engineering). On the government side, he has advised worldwide Departments of Civil Aviation, Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism in matters relating to the role of government-controlled airlines and their management. He continues to advise airlines and related businesses, government policymakers, and the financial investment groups on the changing dynamics of the global aviation industry, evolving airline business models, and the role of evolving technologies to adapt to face ambiguity, complexity, volatility, and uncertainty.