Operations Management Within The Aviation Industry

This assignment discusses the importance of operations management in the aviation industry. It covers the benefits and drawbacks of operational management in aviation industry. It also discusses the 4Vs of operation management and how they relate to the aviation industry. The article also covers the importance of customer service and sustainability in aviation industry.

Operations
Management Within
The Aviation Industry

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
Books and Journals:..................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Operations Management can be understood as the administration of organisational
practices to generate the highest level of efficiency realizable within the business. It mainly
focuses on the concerned with transforming materials as well as labour into products or services
as efficiently as possible to increase the business profits (Abdallah, 2019). It involves the process
that commonly plans, supervises and control production and manufacturing processes, together
with service industry (Singh, and et.al., 2021). Operations in aviation industry mainly focuses on
the flight planning, dispatch, flight watch, operations control, weather data provision, ground to
air communications as well as integration with crew, maintenance planning and schedules. The
following assignment analyses and measures how operations management within the aviation
sector supports to acquire customers as well as allows airports and airlines to compete (Singh
and et.al., 2020).
MAIN BODY
Aviation is known as one of the most “global” industries- connecting people,
organisations, cultures across the continents. Aviation industry has continued to expand. It has
demonstrated long-term resilience and weathered crises,becoming an indispensable
transportation means. It also indulges the only rapid world-wide transportation network, which
makes it significant for multinational business (Bassi, 2020). It helps in creating job
opportunities, economic growth while indulging international trade and tourism. The nature of
operational management is delineated as the administration of organisational practices to make
the highest level of efficiency (Tuzcu, Sohret and Caliskan, 2021).
The processes can be understood as the transformation of inputs such as labour, supplies
and resources into products and services at low cost, thereby generating value. A good
illustration of operational process can be understood on how an aircraft is produce (Shang and
et.al., 2020). By overseeing several small operations, they are able to modify those inputs by
exploiting a assembly line processes into bigger and massive outputs, which allow enhancement
in the design while configuring to give customer satisfaction (Benita, 2021). The key agenda
behind operational management is vital to any business entity as this is the main product around
the business develops. Although in the aviation industry, there requires to be considered other

key competitors that interact with them in a direct manner and can influence decision-making
such as alliances, government, suppliers, airport customer, competitors and unions.
4Vs of operation management, all operations processes involves one thing in ordinary,
they all take their “inputs”such as knowledge, raw materials, capital equipment, together with
time and move them into outputs in aviation services. It involves different ways, considering four
Vs such as volume, variety, visibility and variation. Volume relates with how much production
of a certain service or good is needed to meet the customer's demands in the aviation industry. In
aviation industry, airline companies can consider a limited volume as there are fixed seats in
airlines, but customer's demands can be high for the travelling. In such case, airline company can
increase the prices of tickets in order to boost their profitability while maintaining productivity of
their business. Volume is taken as a significant tool that demonstrates the confidence of customer
in the aviation sector. Volume of demand is considered as a base to gain insights into the market
and ascertain the next plans. Variety is taken as another important aspect in operational process
and it deals with the service or product to be produced and sold to buyers. In aviation line, many
companies use this factor to increase their sales and profitability as well as to decrease their
dependence on only one or two goods, which can lead to wind up their business, if demand for
the services not fulfilled or wanes out. For example, in order to meet the customer's demand,
airline companies such as British Airways provide additional services to attract their buyers such
as the company provide additional cleaning services in order to provide hygienic environment,
healthy meals and foods in flight also delivered with care and many more. Other factor, relates
with the variation which signify that as the demand of customers changes over time due to
several external factors such as changing in tastes and preferences, technological exploitation,
environmental change and many more (Barnes, 2018). It is also difficult to predict the variation.
For example, due to the impact of global pandemic, many customers have reduce their travelling
from one place to another and isolate themselves to avoid the bad consequences of virus. This
simultaneously negatively affects the demand in aviation industry. Hence, in order to combat the
unexpected change in the external environment, aviation industry needed to announce various
new plans and tactics to attract their customers. Again, they needed to highly train their
employees and staff members so that can meet the changing requirements of customers in
aviation industry. They are train to wear mask while meeting clients, sanitise themselves so that
less infection will be spread, train to understand the needs and wants of customers, provide

knowledge to resolve customer complaints and issues against aviation services and many more.
Hence, it is important to focus on variation factor as well in order to meet the changing needs
and requirements of clients. Lastly, visibility can be defined as the value chain of an
organisation's company all procedures put together. Buyers require to experience the business
services and products in aviation industry. Service industry such as aviation industry have a high
visibility level compared to manufacturing sectors. Many aviation companies such as EasyJet,
British Airways exploit modern technologies and track and trace software on their official
website that allows their clients and buyers to have the visibility of where their business
packages are at any certain time. It is vital that prospective customers can locate the organization
they are seeking for. Also, it is essential for the company to ensure that their signage is visible
and clear so that website visitors can simply locate, otherwise, the happening can turn into
disaster. In aviation industry, in order to boost the customer experience, high visibility signage
has already aided effortless to insight repeat clients (Understanding the four Vs of operations
management – volume, variety, variation and visibility, 2021).
In aviation industry, the operation management is accountable for maintaining the vital
four elements which creates high productivity through the organisation. Operations manager
create processes and procedures to help the business in accomplishing variety, volume, visibility
and variance. The operational team and department as a whole helps financial, marketing, sales
and HR performance. It vitally address the issues and concerns in all the tactical choices to keep
their high productivity.
Travellers and passengers throughout the UK can plausibly point out one happening in
their lives where a air-plane didn't live up to expectations. These issues may cover a lack of
amenities, poor seating condition and many other complaints common in the aviation sector.
Many of the people see these complaints may notice that security, safety and other major
problems are often not considered by customers (Berbeglia, Garassino and Vulcano, 2021).
Indeed, passengers take for granted that their aircraft is going to take off while landing safely and
all travellers will be latched from damage. The fact is that it is taken for granted as in UK, there
is premium on perfection in the aviation sector. There are different professionals accountable for
a part of this premium (Selcuk and Avṣar, 2019). Agents of tickets work hard to identify the right
air plane match for each of the travellers. Security department ensure that everyone is safe from
hurt from another person. Operations manager ensures that every single factor of the flight

process goes off without any occurrence. These professionals work with airports and airlines
with an intent to coordinate services with other airlines and suppliers within the airport (Vo, Xiao
and Ho, 2019). Managers often overlook a team of different professionals who work around the
clock to assist consumers and airline experts identify the middle ground i.e. required for
customer service. Identifying perfection in the aviation industry signifies ascertaining solutions
to issues that have not increase yet. Customer services and public relations are incredibly vital in
maintaining perfection in the aviation industry (Chang, Yang and Hsu, 2019).
In aviation industry, a good customer service always plays a significant role as it helps in
boosting the business revenue by making a sense of trust between the airline organisation and its
passengers. This enables customers to keep selecting the same airline organisation in future as
well. There are many operations in aviation industry such as flight planning, dispatch, weather
data, ground to air communications, operations control, flight watch, maintenance planning,
integration with crew and many more (Lee, 2018). It may also cover ATC and airport
management, gate allocation or slot control as a part of operations management in aviation
industry. Efficient airport operations are a vital factor of air transport system in current days.
These are strained by the progressing range of air travellers while sustaining safety, punctuality
and performance.
Management has a significant influence on the air transportation management in these
days. Having shifted with increasing demand from management to acquire a competitive edge in
the market, airline organisations are exploiting modern optimization techniques to make decision
support system for operations control and management (Dogru and Keskin, 2020). For the
purpose of providing better and high quality customer service as well as low cost, airlines spend
a tremendous range of resources as well as effort to make cost effective and profitable fare
classes, fleet plans, flight schedule, gate assignment, crew pairings, aircraft routes and so forth.
Airline organisation can improve their customer experience by several ways. It is
important to build relationship with customers, so the airline organisations can use omni-channel
approach to serve their customers. The airline organisation should be clear on their target
audience and identify their needs, requirements or expectations from airline services. It is also
important to listen their grievances and issues than communicate with them through several
channels such as email, call or even social media platform. By satisfying their unique and
specific customer needs, they can retain them for a longer period of time which help in building

relationships with them. Another method is to empower customer service employees as these are
the backbone of the overall customer service experience. It is important for aviation employees
to equip with technology, tools and information they need to manage customer queries and
implementing a virtual queueing management software such as QLess can help in diminishing
the most hectic airport lines such as experience flight delays (Magon and et.al., 2018). Deploying
a key management solutions support in making a more orderly approach to their customers. The
airline customers will get a notification on their phones as they turn approaches as well as arrived
just in time for the service, they required. Therefore, this is a flexible and convenient option for
the customer and they can choose to wait in the cafeteria lobby or somewhere else.
Operational management involves numerous benefits in order to gain positive customer
experience and competitive edge in an aviation industry. Customer satisfaction, as the customer
review can build or break the brand image. If negative worlds of customers spread, it could be
hard to retain the existing customers (Mišić and Perakis, 2020). This is why it is vital to make
sure that the buyers requirements are the top priority of the airline services. In operational
department, the manager will conduct a process of quality management, together with a
methodology exploits to develop a good or service that will fit into buyer's demands. It also
benefits in guaranteeing that customer will return back after consuming high quality services. On
other hand, operations management also helps in gaining competitive edge which means an
organisation could stand out in competition by managing all the internal and external factors in
the business environment.
Operational management also have downside such as it builds the concerns of
sustainability in aviation sector. Sustainability refers as the method of assessing whether an
airline company can keep current practices without putting future resources at risk. It involves
major three concerns related with the social, economic and environmental. It becomes the
concern for the operational manager by taking the results of all three pillars. It is fundamental for
the operations management to implement best exercises with an involvement for all three pillars
of sustainability (Dogru and Keskin, 2020). Another drawback of operational managers is to
communicate with anyone within the aviation organisation. It is a challenging situation for the
operations manager is to communicate effectively with all the external and internal stakeholders.
Flight operations officers are accountable for the regular running of the airline working
and control centre. They ensure that airline has the right aircraft in the accurate place, at the

accurate time, with the accurate crew. Flight operations managers meet their employees regularly
to discuss the problems, oversee all bigger operational choices while devising solutions to issues
that arise. Moreover, these departments also give advices to the operational issues that may
impact the performance of airline (Lurkin, Hambuckers and Van Woensel, 2021). Flight
operation managers are responsible to deal with major issues such as adverse weather conditions,
air traffic control problems. It can contain re-arranging slots when delays occur. They
responsible to monitor the aircraft to ensure that the flight run on time (Chowdhury and Paul,
2020). They arrange aircraft to undergo maintenance, and repair when necessary. This contains
liaising with engineering centres. These sort of managers also responsible to ensure that each
flight has the right amount of qualified and suitable crew members (Wu and Law, 2019).
The implementation of airline planning as well as operations management involves
various operations and activities. This planning begins with the strategic decisions which takes a
long lead time, for example, demand forecasting. The next step is to consider a set of inter-
related decisions of planning, for instances aircraft routing, fleet assignment, crew scheduling are
taken into consideration (Cui, Orhun and Duenyas, 2019). This process of planning are
commonly finished during the execution of the formed schedule which takes into consideration
flight as well as schedule recoveries.
Total Quality Management is an approach of management to long-term success through
satisfying and fulfilling the needs of customers (Braganza and et.al., 2021). In a TQM effort, all
employees of the business participate in enhancing processes, services and products and the
culture in which they work. TQM can be concluded as a management system for organisations
which are highly customer oriented that contains all workers and employees in continual
improvement. It exploits data, strategies, effective communications to combine the quality
discipline into to activities and culture of the business. It can be better understood with an
example of EasyJet Airways which is popular airline brand in UK (Meredith and Shafer, 2019).
This company is highly customer focused so they provide training to employees, upgrading
computer systems so the customer ascertain whether the endeavour were worthy. Total
employee involvement is one of the key concerns in the company so all workers are participate
in working towards shared objectives. In aviation industry, it is much likely expected to see the
shift of management attention from its functionalities to its customer experience (de Souza and
de Almeida Filho, 2020). Companies in this sector, are showcasing the tendency to downscale

the pursuit of the capacity and speed of their equipment and turn, rather to considering the
customer's needs. Such experiences are made sure by the airport's security measures, customer
perception of the service quality, capability of emergency responses. It is mainly get by knowing
the customer requirements and giving them with the services of needed quality. One of more
spontaneous methods is controlling the costs of airline tickets (Raut and et.al., 2019).
Despite being mainly connected with reliability and functionalities of equipment, safety
in airlines relies on the range of factors such as teamwork capacity, training and communication.
For example, the facilitators set reliable communication modes to make sure the synchronicity of
information between dispatchers, pilots, managers, together with public (Dožić, 2019). This in
turn, guarantees that the compliance with safety standards as well as limits the likelihood of
error. For example, most of the aviation organisations announces team work with each
department. Coupled with positive business culture, this approach increases the chances that a
mistake reasoned by human factor is timely perceived, reported and considered before leading to
any bad implications (Endsley, 2021). Training of technicians is also prioritized to exclude the
likelihood of unskilled employees performing vital operations. The short-term training and
enrolment are cautiously tackled to allow only the right staff members to qualify for the work
(Xu Chan and Zhang 2019).
Therefore, airline industry is a service based industry and its success and growth highly
depends on the level of customer satisfaction. It would be sensible to expect to delineate the
ability to know the existing and predict the most likely of the rising expectations of the travellers
and ability to fulfil their demands (Moon and et.al., 2019).
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that airports and airlines have been exploiting operations management
techniques. Operations management models and approaches have had a extraordinary impact on
the planning managing operations within the aviation sector. Aviation industry is highly complex
in nature as it is highly values customer experience. Total quality management approach
possesses an essential part in the operation management of organisation.

REFERENCES
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<https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/understanding-the-four-vs-of-operations-
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