Air Transport Management and Economics

This assignment delves into the multifaceted world of air transport, examining key themes like safety regulations, operational challenges, aircraft evaluation models, cargo transportation strategies, and the economic influence of air travel. It highlights the dynamic nature of the industry and explores both current practices and emerging trends.

Running head: Research paper 1
RESEARCH PAPER ON AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS, SECURITY AND ITS ECONOMIC
VALUE & CHALLENGES
Presented by
Student affiliation
Supervisor
15th, March 2018

Running head: Research paper 2
1.0. Overview of Airport operations
The Aerodrome industry requires operations to be monitored and managed by relevant
institutions and personnel’s to certain required international standards and specifications (Chao
& Li, 2017). Operations in airports need to cover certain guidelines for use of surfaces, zoning,
wildlife considerations, traffic management, security measures, lighting, and signage provisions.
The mentioned guidelines need to be made basic and provided to the users of the facilities.
Airport operations are guided by the use of notices found in ideal locations within the facility.
The notices provide information for establishment of the facility, conditions required for
operations, any changes in facility components, risks and hazards faced, and other information
necessary to make necessary decisions (Graham & Halpern, 2018). Airport management requires
plans to be developed to cover apron, snow and ice control, environment management, airfield,
safety, emergency response plan, security measures, and ground side maintenance. The
formulated plans will form priorities for operations in the airport.
The Airport operations are headed by a directorate of airport systems. The directorate is
responsible for carrying out procurement, planning, maintenance and installation of terminal
equipment’s in passenger facilitations and automation systems for cargo (Goetz, 2017). The
holder of the position is responsible for modernizing and creating airport security infrastructures.
Air traffic management (ATM) is another central part in airport management. The role of ATM
is to cover matters relating to air traffic services, airspace management, and air traffic flow
management.
2.0. Ground handling and security challenges
Ground handling is a primary concern in any airport maintenance plan. It involves ensuring that
airport run ways are well maintained and good pavement management is achieved. A level,
strong, and managed pavement surfaces are critical in providing safe movements of all aircrafts
on airport airfields (Bruno, Esposito & Genovese, 2015). The management needs to carryout
inspections, maintenance programs, and correct runways and Aprons areas to ensure that the
airport pavements are safe. Some of the security challenges originating from pavement

Running head: Research paper 3
management may include: holes in run ways, poor drained surfaces, availability of contaminants,
cracks and variations on the surface that can lead to accidents (Janić, 2015).
It is the work of the airport management to carryout run way maintenance mechanisms. The
problem areas that require maintenance include: eroding edges, bumpy surfaces, water ponding
areas, and open or sited joints. The common runway surfaces found in several of the airspace are
the Gravel, concrete, turf and paved. The notable type of Asphalt problems include: cracking in
form of patterns, transverse, longitudinal, and others include transverse, surface spilling, rutting
and longitudinal cracking (Kim, Feron, Clarke, Marzuoli & Delahaye, 2017). To ensure a good
ground handling management in airports is achieved a damage formal program that controls
foreign objects hazards and reduce maintenance costs need to be implemented.
3.0. Government role on oversight of cargo security
Over the years the cargo security has evolved from a mere theft to other terrorism related threats
which have created a national cargo security need. Cargo security entails safety of the aircrafts
and valuable items held in it (Vasigh & Fleming, 2016). Governments take a major role in
ensuring cargo security is managed. Their role is to lead in formulating security programs for
airports and ensuring users and authorities to comply with them. Government and its authorities
have set policies on security directions, provided specific requirements for airports security
programs, specified areas that need access control, and provided guidance on identification
display locations (Mott, McNamara & Bullock, 2017).
The airport cargo security remains a government cargo agenda that needs continuous vigilance
and monitoring activities. In providing an oversight function in cargo security the government
intends to lower cases of theft, manage terrorism, avoid illegal trades, lower insurance costs, and
avoid loss of business that could lead to decline in airline cargo revenue (Liu, Sun & Dong,
2015). Other role of the government include: providing screening services, creating and
regulating security requirements for all parties involved in airport cargo security. In addition it
takes a major lead in explosive detections ensuring that cargos are free from any explosions and
threats from explosives. Another government oversight role is to test all sort of new technologies
implemented within the airport periphery (De Florio, 2016 ).

Running head: Research paper 4
The summarized role of the government in over sighting is to ensure that all airports work with
an approved security programs that can be applied in their operations. They ensure that all
airports comply with the regulations by periodically conducting inspections and audits (Mott,
McNamara & Bullock, 2017). The international cargo security acts provide for certain clauses to
be followed which include: ensuring that security controls are applied to cargos, all cargos are
protected against any unauthorized interference, participate in approving airport agents, and
institute appropriate security controls. National institutions for the government take a major role
in security controls applied on all cargo related functions and events (Litman, 2017).
4.0. Economic impact of airports
In a country use of transport is a key infrastructure requirement to its economic performance. A
well designed transport network links consumers, manufacturers and suppliers through an
efficient linkage process (Skorupski, & Uchroński, 2016). Airport role is to provide a gate way
for goods, individuals across country boundaries. Several sectors in a country depend on
transport to aid their operations. Airport infrastructure contributes to employment levels in a
country because more persons are employed directly and indirectly on available operations. The
individuals employed are engaged to be operators, store agents, custom persons, tenants and
handling agencies (Clothier, Williams & Fulton, 2015). Employment of individuals increases
spending power which literally leads to more consumption of goods and services.
Businesses and employees are linked directly and indirectly by the airport operations. They
contribute significantly on taxes revenues which can then be employed for other development
initiatives. Airports necessitate movement of individuals from one country to another thus
encouraging tourist leading to increased foreign exchange for the country (Baker, Merkert &
Kamruzzaman, 2015). Faster movement of goods is an ingredient in promoting successive
business environment and trade. In the long run a good business environment forms part of
development of a country. Businesses can gain economically if the distance between accessing
goods and selling them is shortened. The airport transport system lessens the movement of goods
from the producer to the consumer where enterprises can rely on use of airports in connecting
consumers and suppliers (Chao, & Li, 2017). In summary the impact generated by having an
airport in a country can be felt by generating aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues.
Aeronautical revenues represent those incomes derived from direct movements of passengers

Running head: Research paper 5
and aircrafts while non-aeronautical are those emanating from commercial activities like leasing,
logistics and tenant agencies.
5.0. Airport security and its challenges
Airport security involves a combination of human, materials, resources and measures that are
focused in safeguarding airports from any unlawful interference. The objective of the airport of
the security is to safeguard crews, passengers, general public, aircrafts and facilities from acts
deemed to be unlawful interfering with normal operations (Liu, Sun & Dong, 2015). In response
to threats posed to airport operations an overall framework of civil aviation security was
formulated by international civil aviation authority (ICAO) in 1960. In addition ICAO developed
additional legal instruments acts in airports. They covered offences committed on board aircraft
(Tokyo convention, 1963), suppression of unlawful seizure of aircraft (Hague convention, 1970),
suppression of unlawful acts against civil aviation (Montreal convention, 1971), and making
plastic explosives detection (Montreal convections, 1991). All states then were required to ratify
them and formulate a national regulatory framework for enforcing them in their countries
(Clothier, Williams & Fulton, 2015).
Within country states a National civil aviation security agency to be formulated in order to run
program to adopt the provisions of ICAO. The program nationally was to safeguard airport
operations from unlawful interferences by coming up with security practices, procedures and
regulations (Vasigh & Fleming, 2016). States were required to formulate emergency plans, have
emergency operation centers, design an isolated aircraft parking position and develop a security
manual for the airport operations. But although security measures have been put in place in
airports there are still a number of challenges facing the security sector in airports. Globalization
has brought countries together increasing number of threats from both countries that is a
challenge to member states in trying to mitigate them; member states policies and legislations
affect security operations in countries they differ in use and nature (Baker, Stevens &
Kamruzzaman, 2016). The emergence of terrorism has seen several governments creating
barriers of entry in their countries and making accessibility difficult through strict rules and

Running head: Research paper 6
regulations. Changes in technology affect security management in airports has member states
strive to adopt suitable technologies to govern technological related threats.
6.0. Cargo operations
Cargo represents any property that is being carried on an aircraft that is accompanied or is a
mishandled baggage (Baker, Merkert, & Kamruzzaman, 2015). The cargo operations involve
majority handing operation that entails cargo shipments, unloading and loading of aircrafts,
transfer of storage facilities. Attendant in a cargo operation expected to make preparations for in
bound cargo which include customs and facilitation of regulatory procedures. Other roles may
include reloading, reconsolidating and unloading cargos. If cargos are to stay a longer time
storage facilities are provided. For international transshipments cargo a bonded facility is
required. For any outbound cargo it needs to pass through x rays scanner in order to inspect the
cargo. For easy dispatch and checking of cargo handling facilities are laid strategically to allow
smooth running of operations (Janić, 2015).
In many of the airports a cargo terminal is designed to be a multi-tenant to hold several
individuals performing specific functions related to the cargo. It is ideal to have a cargo village
in the airports that could facilitations multi-cargo terminal system that would allow efficient
traffic flow and co-ordinates (Graham & Halpern, 2018). For security purposes the cargos are
handed by specific certified cargo handlers and agents. The cargo operations involve use of
warehouse technologies that form ground handlers and manage flow of cargos. The technology
capacity varies with the volume of work performed by the airports. Cargo screening technologies
is used in ensuring that security is carried abroad aircraft. Examples of such technologies
include: explosive detection system, passenger checked baggage, certified cargo screening
system (De Florio, 2016 ). Other technologies employed in airport are the use explosive
detection dogs that can enhance screening activities for cargo screens and gamma ray technology
that is used to screen cargo’s sealed. Overall the airport is managed by a cargo manager who is
responsible for overseeing and managing cargo operations.
7.0. Impact of air cargo disruptions on supply chain
Air transport is as become an important infrastructural support in linking businesses and creating
a network between suppliers and markets. Supply chain function involves the movement of

Running head: Research paper 7
goods along the product chain from the source to the end users (Litman, 2017). Disruptions in
the air cargo can lead to several consequences in the supply chain. Some of the disruptions are
man-made and others are natural. Examples of air cargo disruptions that affect supply chain
include: floods, earth quakes, bad weather, strikes, port strikes, and political instabilities in
countries.
Once such disruptions occur they cause significant consequences and impacts for example
production stoppages, increase loss of revenues in a short run. The consumers through the
initiatives are unable to access goods at convenient times. The disruptions affects perishable
goods that depend on the just in time approach they get spoilt before reaching the required
destination. The more disruptions occur it leads to a higher insurance costs and handling costs
(Kim, Feron, Clarke, Marzuoli & Delahaye, 2017). Other inter-terminal network transport
systems are affected by air cargo disruptions they do not have a means of transporting other
goods. Another impact on the supply chain is that business persons in a supply chain network
will have fewer exports and imports in their respective countries.

Running head: Research paper 8
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Running head: Research paper 9
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