Designing an ‘ideal’ airline
Most students enrolled in the Center for Aviation Studies have flown on commercial airlines and many even aspire to be commercial airline professionals. However, a majority enter the program lacking insight on how they operate. That’s why AVN 4000 and 5000 Air Transportation Analysis I and II were developed.
“The classes are intended to prepare students to take their first job with an airline, keep up with industry, immerse them in industry and get them curious and focused on learning as much as possible about the industry,” shared Lecturer Adam Beckman.
“Many students enter the class just having a cursory knowledge of industry, but I don’t think they’ve realized how planned out everything is at an airline,”
Beckman has been teaching the immersive series since he developed it in 2015. Class topics include routes, fleet selection and purchasing, ticket pricing, benchmarking competitors and marketing.
An engaging group project – airline development as an entrepreneur – coalesces the themes. Students use data inputs to build the basics of the airline in semester one, then expand their concept in the second semester.
“Students really enjoy the project and group experience,” said Beckman.
For example, “it’s really enlightening for students to understand how ticket pricing is impacted by so many inputs, analytics, research, statistics, etc. Students have aha moments about the impact of economic considerations on ticket prices.” They, in turn, have the opportunity to utilize the industry-standard revenue management tool for their group project to determine best ticket prices for their simulated airline.
Those with a variety of career goals enroll in the classes. It is mandatory for students pursuing their degree in aviation management and an elective for other aviation and air transportation majors. Ohio State students with questions about enrollment should contact their advisors. Information about aviation majors is available by clicking here.
by Holly Henley, communications specialist
