Issue 30
President’s Speech
Taxing the US Airline Industry – A Time for Change?
by Dr. Kenneth Button
This article reflects a recent report, “The Taxation of Air Transportation” by Ken Button in which he examined the structure of the current regime of taxes, and in particular the distortions they impose on the United States’ market, and at the lack of incentive the system has to ensure that those responsible for infrastructure provision use resources efficiently.
Potential and Limitations of Air-Rail Links – A Short Overview
by Dr. Andreas Eichinger & Dr. Andreas Knorr
Airports have always been multi-modal interchange nodes. As more and more airports get congested, airport operators and airlines are increasingly turning their attention to connecting rail links in a quest to relieve airside congestion, which negatively affects the quality of service, especially in terms of total travel time. Therefore, air-rail links can be regarded as a crucial tool for managing long-term airport capacity.
Management of Safety in Aviation Organizations: Challenges and Possibilities
by Dr. Gurjeet Gill
Aviation, like other high-risk and high-tech endeavours, relies on safety management systems for ensuring safety. This article by Mrs. Gill from the Massey University of New Zealand incorporates recent research in aviation operations to provide suggestions to managers, regulators, and researchers to ensure, monitor and measure safety respectively.
by Willem-Jan Zondag
On May 19th, Aerius hosted an aviation lecture by Mr Onno van den Brink, CEO of Dutch airline Transavia.com. This short report reflects the lecture in which the transition of Transavia from a traditional charter airline into a dynamic ‘web enforced airline was the central theme.
Airport of the World: ‘From Beer to Hopefully Privatized Cheer’, at Budapest Ferihegy Airport
by Bram du Saar
Editor Bram du Saar explores the Hungarian state airport Budapest Ferihegy ranging from a discussion about its relation with beer and other interesting historical facts to a discussion of its present state and future plans.
Sietse Helder is a former board member of Aerius and currently lives in the Alps for his job at Air France / KLM. Since he recently graduated, Aerlines invited him to introduces himself in this Graduate.
Airline of the World: Air Berlin, Best of Both Worlds
by Eduard Koekkoek & Willem-Jan Zondag
In this ‘Airline of the World’, Aerlines scopes-out Air Berlin, currently the second largest carrier in Germany and the third largest low-fares airline in Europe. Air Berlin is a fast growing airline with a business concept that enables the airline to offer its customers the ‘ Best of Both Worlds’.
Column: Hedging Fuel Costs in the Airline Industry
by Dr. Steve Swidler
Fuel costs comprise a major portion of operating expenses in the airline industry. For most airlines, it is the second largest expense category behind labor. Thus when oil prices nearly double, as they have between 2004 and 2005, dramatic increases in jet fuel costs can create havoc with an airline’s profitability. Read more…
Ashgate Book Review: “Aviation Psychology: Practice and Research”
by Dr. Lucas van Gerwen
This very readable 380-page textbook is a pleasant departure for the dozens of topics in the field of Aviation Psychology; it presents an up-to-date review of the main areas in this field. It contains current thinking from specialists involved in research, training and operational practice.
Ashgate Book Review: “Airline Operations and Scheduling”
by Stephan Peters
The planning and scheduling of airline operations is made up of complex problems. Since operations research is one of the most effective tools to solve the problems of this magnitude, it has had a vast impact on the management of the airlines’ operations. This book gives the reader a comprehensive, easy-to-understand introduction to this challenging field of research.
Aerlines Magazine 