Unit Overview and Description
3.3 Air Transport
It is by far the most effective transport mode. Notably because of prices, only 12.5%
of the tourist travel by plane, but for international travel this share is around 40%. Air transport has revolutionized the geographical aspect of distances; the most remote areas can now be attained, any journey around the world can be measured in terms of hours of traveling. Business people are among the biggest users of airline facilities, but a low FRVW DLU FDUULHUV KDYH DWWUDFWHG D VLJQL¿FDQW PDUNHW VHJPHQW
Air transportation was slow to take off after the Wright Brothers breakthrough at Kitty Hawk LQ 0RUH WKDQ WHQ \HDUV SDVVHG EHIRUH ¿UVW IDOWHULQJ HIIRUWV WR ODXQFK VFKHGXOHG SDVVHQJHU VHUYLFHV 2Q -DQXDU\ WKH ZRUOG¶V ¿UVW VFKHGXOHG ÀLJKW ZLWK D SD\LQJ passenger hopped across the bay separating Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida for a IDUH WKDW HYHQWXDOO\ VWDELOL]HG DW SHU SHUVRQ URXQGWULS DERXW LQ %\
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comparison, Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Southwest Airlines could carry a passenger from Tampa to Seattle and back, more than a hundred times farther for only slightly more than LQ :RUOG :DU , ZKLFK EHJDQ MXVW PRQWKV DIWHU WKDW ¿UVW ÀLJKW IURP 7DPSD SURYLGHGWKH¿UVWUHDOVSXUWRWKHGHYHORSPHQWRIFRPPHUFLDODYLDWLRQDVDLUSRZHUEHJDQ WREHXVHGDQGEHWWHUDLUFUDIWZHUHTXLFNO\GHVLJQHG7KUHHPDMRUFDWHJRULHVRISDVVHQJHU jet planes may be recognized:
Short range aircraft: Bombardier’s CRJ series and Embraer’s ERJs are examples of planes with relatively small capacities (30-100 passengers) that travel over relatively short distances. They are usually referred to as regional jets that serve VPDOOHU PDUNHWV DQG IHHG KXE DLUSRUWV 7KH\ DOVR SURYLGH KLJK IUHTXHQF\ SRLQW WR point services between large city pairs.
Medium range aircraft: The airbus A320, with a range of 3,700 km, and its Boeing HTXLYDOHQWWKH%DUHGHVLJQHGWRVHUYLFHGHVWLQDWLRQVZLWKLQDFRQWLQHQW)URP New York, most of North America can be reached. This range can be applied to the European continent, South America, East Asia and Africa. This type of aircraft is also used for high demand regional services where low cost air carriers compete.
Long range aircraft: There are a variety of aircraft capable of crossing the oceans and linking together the continents. Early variants such as the B-707 have evolved into planes offering high capacity, such as the B-747 series, or long range abilities, such as B-777 series or the A350 series which have ranges of up to 17,400 km.
7\SLFDOO\ DLU FDUJR UHODWHV WR WLPH VHQVLWLYH YDOXDEOH RU SHULVKDEOH IUHLJKW FDUULHG RYHUORQJGLVWDQFHV7KLVLVSDUWLFXODUO\VXLWDEOHLQVXSSRUWLQJ³MXVWLQWLPH´SURGXFWLRQ and distribution strategies with low inventory levels. Air cargo has also a niche market for emergency situations where the fast delivery of supplies (e.g. medical, IRRG SUHYDLOV RYHU FRVW LVVXHV 7KH DLU IUHLJKW PDUNHW LV VHUYLFHG E\ ¿YH W\SHV RI operations:
D 'HGLFDWHGFDUJRRSHUDWRUVPDLQWDLQLQJDÀHHWRUFDUJRRQO\DLUFUDIWVDQGRIIHULQJ regular scheduled services between the airports they service. They also offer FKDUWHU RSHUDWLRQV WR FDWHU WR VSHFL¿F QHHGV
E &RPELQDWLRQ VHUYLFHV ZKHUH DQ DLUOLQH FRPSDQ\ ZLOO PDLQWDLQ D ÀHHW RI ERWK specialized and passenger aircrafts able to carry freight in their bellyhold. Most of the cargo operations involve long haul services.
c) Passenger operators that will offer the freight capacity in the belly hold of their aircrafts. For these operators, freight services are rather secondary and represent
Travel Agency and Tour Operations Business
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a source of additional income. However, low cost airlines usually do not offer air cargo services.
d) Air freight integrators commonly operating hub and spoke freight services that UHFRQFLOH VKRUW DQG ORQJ KDXO ÀLJKWV 7KH\ RIIHU FRPSUHKHQVLYH VHUYLFHV WKDW DUH XVXDOO\ GRRUWRGRRU DQG FDQ VXSSRUW WKH ORJLVWLFV UHTXLUHPHQWV RI WKHLU customers.
H 6SHFLDOL]HG RSHUDWRUV IXO¿OOLQJ QLFKH VHUYLFHV WKDW FDWHU WR VSHFL¿F FDUJR UHTXLUHPHQWVHJKHDY\ORDGVWKDWGRQRW¿WWKHFDSDELOLWLHVRIVWDQGDUGFDUJR aircrafts.
In today’s competitive market scenario, organizations increasingly understand the importance of building and effectively managing the relationship with passengers. For building and maintaining a healthy relationship with the passenger, organizations need to understand and meet the expectations of its passenger. The organizations today should aim not only at delivery of the service to the passengers, but should also focus on satisfying the passengers with the service. Thus it has become imperative for organizations to identify factors that cause passenger satisfaction or dissatisfaction and consciously measure them so as to try and bring about the necessary changes on the basis of passenger perceptions.
7KH WRWDO ÀHHW VL]H RI FRPPHUFLDO DLUOLQHV LQ ,QGLD ZDV ,Q WKH$LU &RUSRUDWLRQ Act of 1953 was repealed with a view to remove monopoly of air corporations on scheduled services, enable private airlines to operate scheduled service, convert Indian Airlines and Air India to limited company and enable private participation in the national carriers. However, beginning 1990 private airline companies were allowed to operate air taxi services, resulting in the establishment of Jet Airways and Air Sahara. These changes in the Indian aviation policies resulted in the increase of the share of private airline operators in domestic passenger carriage to 68.5% in 2005 from 0.4 of 1991. Due WR ZHDNHU UXSHH ¿HUFH FRPSHWLWLRQ DQG KLJK ZRUOG FUXGH RLO SULFHV ZLWK WD[HV OHYLHG E\
state-run oil marketing companies made jet fuel prices in India among the highest in the world, by the end of the 2011, 5 of the top 6 Indian airlines were loss-making, including state-owned Air India which was operating on taxpayer life support.
Review Questions:
1. Explain the importance of air transport in an economy?
2. What do you mean by low cost carrier (LCC)?
3. What are the major categories of air passengers?
4. Write small notes on the airport that you know on your own or through your friends/
relatives.
5. Activity: Collect data on airport which is located at your place.