Air Travel Partnerships: How to Create Greater Value Through Collaboration

While change in the aviation sector is hardly a new phenomenon, going forward the rate of change will accelerate due to the emergence, convergence, and intersection of powerful internal and external forces. To deal with the accelerating change in the marketplace, stakeholders in the travel ecosystem need to deepen collaboration that is productive to (1) building adaptable, resilient, and lean businesses, (2) achieving growth and innovation, (3) elevating traveler experience to a much higher level, and, at the same time, (4) reducing the impact on the environment.

Undoubtedly, while some innovations implemented by different aviation business sectors - to become more adaptable, more resilient, and leaner as well as to improve customer experience - have been adding some value, the innovations being introduced have been transactional, fragmented, and incremental. What is needed is a step change in proactive collaboration among different stakeholders in the air travel ecosystem at the holistic level, to co-create value for travelers in terms of experience (relating to simplicity, convenience, and speed) and for businesses to adapt in order to reduce costs and increase profit margins.

This book focuses on four types of organizations within the air travel sector: airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, and travel intermediaries. It provides a framework, tools, and insights to enhance collaborations by design in an age of increasing uncertainty.

Air Travel Partnershipsis essential reading for all executives and senior managers within airlines, airports and air transport supporting industries.

Nawal Taneja,whose work experience spans more than five decades, has worked for, and advised, major airlines and related businesses worldwide. His experience also includes the presidency of a small airline that provided schedule and charter services with jet aircraft and the presidency of a boutique think tank that provided advisory services to the air transportation community throughout the world. Within the academic community, he has served on the faculties of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Ohio State University.