BSc (Hons) Airline, Airport, & Aviation Management 

This module will give an overview of the modern-day cargo industry and its operational challenges and opportunities. The module will focus on how the industry has evolved and who the key players are within it. It will examine trends in existing and emergent markets and the increasing role of technology within the sector. The module will also look at relevant key pricing aspects as they relate to both normal cargo and, abnormal outsize cargo. The Module will also look to study patterns in traffic flows and, a study of topical issues applicable to air cargo managers in today’s turbulent trading environment

The module aims to provide students with:

1. An understanding of the importance and relevance of cargo to the aviation industry in terms of traffic movements, key players and contribution to GDP.
2. Knowledge of how the cargo industry has evolved and, the operational and resource requirements of the sector as we move towards increased technological implementation and electronic documentation.
3. An ability to understand trends, specialist freight movement requirements and market characteristics of the industry
4. To comprehend how costs and prices work within the sector

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; IT; literacy; applied analysis; entrepreneurship, critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving

The module introduces fundamentals of Arline Operations, current issues and its applications in the industry. Airline operations present a striking dichotomy. Each day, airlines safely transport millions of passengers around the world. Often, however, they fail to deliver on the ordinary e.g. ground crew turning up late to open doors, loss of bags, millions of pounds in chronically underutilised aircraft etc.

Airlines have not given their operations factory like industrial-engineering scrutiny. A high percentage of an airline’s cost structure consists of maintenance, ground handling, in-flight services, call centres and aircraft acquisitions. At stake, there is an opportunity to reduce overall costs dramatically by using labour, materials and assets more efficiently, to enhance the reliability of service.

This module looks into teaching students the extent of the problems and how airlines are able to solve the problems highlighted above within the regulatory and economic constraints of the industry. Its aim is for students to have a solid background on certification, rules of the air, cost structures, profitability issues and all the necessary complex activities which are required for an aircraft to fly from A to B. The interrelationship between different stakeholders is also explored in this module.

This module serves as a comprehensive exploration and elucidation of the fundamental principles that underpin both micro and macroeconomics, essential for grasping the intricacies of airport and airline operations. Within this framework, the module delves into the analysis of supply and demand, explores the principles governing costs, revenue, and pricing dynamics, and explains concepts related to the productivity and performance of airlines and airports. Additionally, the module will introduce the concept of market failure and look into the economic facets specific to the airline and airport industries, incorporating industry benchmarks crucial for evaluating their overall performance.

The module aims to provide students with the ability to:

1. Acquire systematic knowledge and a profound understanding of both microeconomic and macroeconomic principles, fostering the capability to adeptly apply these concepts within the unique context of the aviation sector.
2. Discern and differentiate between the diverse costs inherent to airlines and airports, with a keen awareness of how these costs intricately influence overall profitability.
3.  Demonstrate proficiency in comprehending and manipulating data from diverse sources to critically evaluate performance within the aviation sector.

This module will provide an overview of the important functions of airport management for the seamless operation of the aviation system. Airports have a vital role in processing of air passengers and air cargo to ensure that the aviation system functions safely and securely.

Airports are complex businesses and have a range of attributes including being land-lords, providing infrastructure (terminals and runways), providing retailing environments, providing the operational environment for airlines. Of course, there are many different types of commercial airports, small (local) airports, regional airports, international airports and global hubs etc.

The focus of this module is management issues facing airport operators and these operators differ in their ownership structures, management structures and regulatory frameworks. It is therefore important to set the ‘management’ of airports in the context of global development of the aviation system and to distinguish airports operating in the ‘private’ sector and those in the ‘state’ sector and various positions in between.

The United Kingdom has been particularly dynamic in developing the ‘privatisation sector’ of airports because of decisions made by the Thatcher government to ‘sell off’ state operations very early in the 20th century. As a result, the UK is ahead in many consequences of introducing the profit incentive to improve efficiency of airport operators.

The module aims to provide students with:

1. An understanding of the importance of airports to the economic well-being of regions and countries as vital growth poles and as a result the significance to the country involved.
2. Knowledge of the key features and interfaces for airport ‘management’
3. Understanding of the important performance benchmarks for airports
4. Comprehension of the issues of service quality and the airport passenger experience
5. The need for airports to provide commercial facilities such as retailing environments
6. Airport competition and the role of airport marketing and master planning for development

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular: academic study skills; IT; literacy; applied analysis; entrepreneurship, critical thinking; interpersonal and team-working; communication, including oral presentation; and problem solving.

The module aims to provide an understanding of the marketing process in contemporary organisations and in the context of tangible goods and services. The service sector accounts for a significant proportion of GDP and employment in most developed economies and therefore it becomes essential for students to gain insight within the area. In this module, students are introduced to a range of marketing theories such as the marketing concept, consumer behaviour, business environmental analysis, marketing research, consumer insights applicable to tangible goods and services marketing.

The module aims to:

• Provide an understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical application of marketing
• Provide an appreciation of contemporary issues in marketing.
• Develop students’ academic writing, application of knowledge and data interpreting skills.
• Develop students’ researching and analysing skills.

The focus of this module is management and the development of students as managers. Managers are crucial to getting things done, for example, they plan, organise, lead and coordinate the work of others in order to meet organisational goals efficiently and effectively. The challenges of managing in today’s ever-changing, increasingly uncertain, complex economic environment requires managers to have the knowledge, ability and skills to take action, such as managing information, delegating tasks, setting goals, building teams, motivating others and, along with numerous other activities, achieve organisational success.

The traditional view of the purpose and role of management in the world of work was to seek stability and efficiency in a top-down hierarchy aimed at achieving bottom-line results. In contrast, the contemporary management approach expects managers to engage in motivating people and harnessing their creativity, sharing information and power, leading change, and finding shared vision and values in an increasingly diverse and complex workplace.

Today’s managers require the knowledge and ability to draw on both traditional and contemporary approaches to management when formulating workplace decisions. They also need the skills, tools, and techniques to manage their own career trajectory based on the acquisition of sound employability skills and accompanying behaviours.

In addition to knowledge, the module focuses on developing students as managers which involves the ability to interact with, and motivate, a diverse range of people.

The module aims are to:

Enable students to identify and explain major developments in the history of managerial thought and, provide students with the opportunity to develop management, leadership and employability capability to enhance their individual potential.

Develop students’ appreciation of the different management approaches that can be used when managing in uncertain and complex environments.

Enable students to develop their management and employability skills, such as critical thinking and writing, interpersonal skills, self-management, communication, team-working, problem solving, and presentation skills, in order to maximise their competitive edge in the business world and, to explore the effectiveness of management influence and performance on the wider safety and operational culture within the aviation system.

This module will orientate you to Higher Educations and early employability planning. This module will introduce you to how the university works and how you can adapt and be successful in your studies by mastering key academic skills & employability skills; the module is designed to provide you with guidance to building core academic and professionals skills.

Running alongside the module requirements & in collaboration with the Gateway to Success a business school resource, we will set you on your way in career development and skill enhancement. The resource will support you in the tools, insights, and support needed to achieve your professional goal and build evidence of personal development and employability skills. Additionally, students earn points for completing activities across learning and careers areas. Achieving the required points by graduation signals strong engagement and commitment to professional growth, which is formally recognised on the degree transcript.

You will be equipped with the knowledge to quickly navigate the university systems and locate information essential to your learning; the module does this by introducing and delivering an overview of the university literacy, opportunities and challenges. The module will also support you in developing digital literacy and effective communication, recognising the importance of these skills in academic and professional contexts. Key study techniques and skills to be covered will stretch from preparation for class, to time management, teamwork, academic reading and writing, research, the use of Artificial Intelligence and reflective thinking, to encourage and help you for your academic ability and professional career development. This will not only equip you with a solid foundation of the skills you need to progress to the subsequent levels of your study and ultimately to finish your course successfully, but it will also equip you with the soft and transferable skills you need to excel in your career progression, beyond the university.

The module aims to:

• Provide information and guide you on where to find study and module information.
• Provide you with a sound understanding of what is required to succeed when studying at the university.
• Development a range of academic, professional, and personal skills that will contribute to university learning, life-long learning and employability.
• Support your adoption of techniques and skills to help to improve your performance at the university.
• Use digital tools to effectively support learning and professional collaboration.

You will find, reflect on and further develop the following aspects:

• Management skills.
• Team work and presentation skills.
• Learning skills & styles
• Academic reading and critical thinking.
• Research skills and research methods.
• Academic writing and academic integrity.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence.
• Employability planning & development – The degree specialism & the Graduate labour market. Graduate employability skills, transferable skills, Skills development & planning. Developing a live CV to record the skills that you have developed through your course, work experience and in your extra-curricular activities.

The module introduces you to a range of quantitative methods useful for understanding and describing marketing data supporting decision-making. It provides you with the practical experience of using the latest version of Excel and/or SPSS software to describe and interpret marketing data of relevance to marketing and the creative industries. The module lays the foundation for level 5/6 modules as appropriate.

The module adopts an applied, problem-solving approach and aims to equip you with relevant quantitative and information management skills required by employers within the marketing and creative industries. The module also aims to enhance your employability and provide you opportunities for developing a range of key skills including, but not limited to, analysing data, application of knowledge and presenting data, data interpretation and reporting, problem solving and decision making, self / time management, digital literacy and IT skills, and numeracy / quantitative skills.

The role of this module is to introduce the role of strategic analysis and planning for airlines and airports to determine a sustainable future for these partners. The module will explore the vital nature of understanding the external environment and the opportunities for growth and development depending on internal capabilities and the external environment.

The module aims to provide students with an:

• Understanding of the importance of strategic management opportunities for airlines and airports
• Appreciation of the internal factors that allow companies to capitalise on external market opportunities
• Understanding of the vital nature of ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ and ‘market’ features for air travel for strategic development

The module introduces the key themes and understanding for airport planning and development which is a complex agenda that requires strategic over-sight. Airports are unique businesses that have many stakeholders and uniquely require local support as well as government support to succeed. They also have a unique relationship with airlines as they are symbiotic operators with airlines.

The module aims to provide students with:

• An understanding of the context for airport planning and development
• The role of master planning and reasons for this process
• The importance of stakeholders in the aviation airport planning process

This module provides a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding on brands, brand equity and strategic brand management. It outlines the concepts and framework of branding, which are crucial in designing, implementing marketing campaigns as well as activities to build, measure and manage brand equity. It provides students with the tools and techniques to improve long-term profitability via creating effective brand strategies.

Aims of the module:

• Explore the role of branding from a corporate and consumer perspective.
• Examine the theory of branding.
• Develop students’ understanding of the role played by marketing communications in the building and maintenance of brands in the Aviation industry.
• Develop students’ researching and analysing skills.
• Develop students’ critical writing, application of knowledge and decision-making skills.

Financial decision-making is important for any and every business. This natural mental process needs to be informed to select a course of action from several alternative options. One of the most essential elements that help to facilitate the implementation of the business strategy in an organisation is Finance. The financial manager of an organisation plays a central role in making decisions on optimum utilisation of financial resources and assess the implications for shareholders and other stakeholders, and the need for effective corporate governance.

Therefore, managers require critical understanding of key financial management issues, aviation performance indicators and methodologies relating to financial management frameworks. Managers use these tools when they are faced with making financial decisions in the aviation business environment. This module provides students with knowledge about financial decision-making approaches and control systems aviation businesses use to make managerial decisions.

The module also provides the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the impact of financial decisions. It enables learners of today, who are managers of tomorrow, to participate in decision making processes concerning the utilisation of finances in investment, financial and risk management, and the delivery of value for money in achieving the objectives of the business. Although managers are not always required to perform detailed financial analysis, they need to have a clear understanding of how the process of financial management and decision-making work to ascertain that decisions are properly made and implemented and that apposite risk management systems are in place.

The module focuses on fundamentals of aviation financial management, the need for accounting and finance, financial governance, making capital investment decisions, balancing risk and return, tools of financial analysis, interpretations and planning, reading financial reports, cost challenges in decision making, working capital management, sources of finance, cost- passenger volume-profit analysis and its use in managerial decisions and planning.

This final-year core module “Leading Innovation in the Aviation Industry” aims to enable students to study and apply in practice:

• A range of leadership theories and techniques to critically evaluate and develop their own personal leadership style relevant to the industry
• A range of leadership theories and techniques to critically evaluate contemporary innovation practice, and organisations in a range of industries engaged with innovation practice in the Aviation industry
• A range of innovation theories and techniques to critically evaluate contemporary innovation processes, and organisations in the Aviation industry
  the synergies between leadership and innovation in the context of the Aviation industry.

The Module will be based around two themes:

1. Theme 1: Leadership, where they will study, reflect on, and use leadership theories and techniques to assess and develop their own personal leadership style. By doing this, students will be closely engaging with and evaluating classic and contemporary theories, and directly applying the ideas from these theories to their own experience and ambitions in general and the Aviation industry in particular.
2. Theme 2: Innovation, where they will study, analyse, and evaluate the innovation processes of selected organisations and industries (by critiquing, for example, Case Studies), and how innovation is achieved and operates within the contemporary economy (by critiquing, for example, classic and contemporary examples).

   In addition, students will study the synergies between leadership and innovation, an emerging area in academic research and in practice.

   By doing this, students will be closely engaging with and evaluating innovation practice and performance, informed by the leadership theories and techniques covered in Theme 1.

Each theme will conclude with an assignment: Theme 1 will conclude with a team-based formative assignment, and Theme 2 will conclude with a pairs-based summative assignment. Once complete, this Module aims to enable students to understand a long-term time line. Firstly, students will ‘look back’ and be exposed to classic and contemporary leadership texts, so they can critically evaluate and develop their own personal leadership style.

Secondly, they will ‘look forward’ and critically evaluate how innovation can further emerge in the economy and society, and how contemporary and future organisations and industries can ensure sustainability through enhanced innovation, blended with enhanced organisational leadership.

Business projects tend to vary greatly in size and scope depending on their objectives, allocated resources and the industry for which they are developed. In the context of the aviation, events and tourism industries, competent and confident business project managers are required to tend the needs of the different stages of designing, managing and delivering successful projects. To this end, students need to be provided with a solid grounding on time management applied to projects, budgeting, and human talent management within specific project settings.

Therefore, a variety of resources intending to provide methods and tools to manage projects successfully should be drawn from to engrain a comprehensive understanding of the different requirements needed to structure a viable and effective project. This module introduces students to the role of the project manager, the nature of projects and how to manage them successfully through active engagement with these resources. As a result, students will be equipped with a solid and confident grounding to develop realistic, effective and attractive project proposals, manage and organise their delivery.

The module aims to enable students to:

1. Assess project proposals and ascertain the most viable approach to achieve its objectives
2. Recognise the characteristics of project organisations that provide governance, assurance, support and direction to the project planning and delivery team
3. Understand the difference between linear and agile project management methods
4. Develop project plans assisted by relevant software, including the use of Gantt charts and Work Breakdown Structures
5. Communicate project proposals in detail and effectively, including their risks and other issues.

The Professional Consultancy Project module serves as a capstone experience, requiring students to undertake a business-focused project designed to enhance their employability and support ongoing professional development.

As part of this module, you will complete and document an individual project that not only consolidates your learning throughout the programme but also allows you to apply your knowledge in a real-world context. It provides a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the professional competencies you’ve developed over the course of your studies.

If you are currently employed, you may choose to base your project on a work-related consultancy initiative, subject to your employer’s approval. Alternatively, you may opt for a research-based project.
You will present your project through an online presentation. This module offers a platform to showcase your professional credibility while applying your academic, business, and technical skills in a practical setting

The Professional Consultancy Project aims to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to utilise and contextualise knowledge by applying analytical skills to a business situation or problem
2. Demonstrate the ability to assemble a coherent and sustained piece of writing that evaluates a business/project problem/solution
3. Create an opportunity to continue the development of a range of skills associated with research, including analysis, interpretation, written expression, formal report writing, and self-managed study
4. Engage students in a complex, integrated activity that will consolidate and integrate previous skills and learning
5. Provide students with a ‘showcase’ opportunity that allows them to demonstrate their ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to a significant and specialised task