TPC 214- Transportation Management

MODULE 2
Air Transportation

Module Outline:
 History of Aviation
 Characteristics of Air Transport
 Airline Business Models

What is Aviation?
Aviation- it is a general term that originated from the French word “avi” meaning bird
(Aviation, n.d.)
 It is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft,
especially heavier-than-air aircraft.
General Aviation- the Civil Aviation Organization (2009) defines general aviation as “all
civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air
transport operations for remuneration or hire.
 It involves activities such as business flights, air charter, private aviation, flight
training, ballooning, paragliding, parachuting, gliding, aerial photography, air
ambulance, charter flights, police air patrols and forest fire fighting.
Commercial Aviation- it is a part of general aviation which can be differenced as
activities that involve flying for business, remuneration, or hire.
 The best example is the scheduled flights of commercial airlines that operate in
major airports.
Military Aviation- involves using military aircraft and other flying machines. It is usually
done for national security, warfare, logistics deployment to military personnel, and other
military purposes.
History of Aviation

Aviation history can be divided into two categories. One is lighter-than-air

development aircraft, and another is heavier-than-air development aircraft.
Lighter-Than-Air Aircraft Development
When aviation is talked about, what comes to mind are airplanes that are heavier-than-
air aircraft. Other than heavier-than-air aircraft, there are also lighter-than-air.

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 Examples of lighter-than-air aircraft are hot air balloons and airships or

blimps.

The first successful hot air balloon was created by the French Brothers Joseph
Michel and Stephen (Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier) on November 1783.
 The brothers experimented using paper and fabric for the balloon that used fire to
produce hot air. A basket was attached to the balloon where the passengers
boarded.
In the Philippine airspace, the first flight was on a hot air balloon flown by Portuguese
acrobat C.F Marquez who performed during a carnival exhibition in Manila on April 4,
1909. His performance was recorded in Philippine aviation history as the first air travel.
Today, hot air balloons are used for countryside sightseeing tours in places like
Cappadocia, Turkey, Serengeti, and Tanzania.

The Philippines also hosts ballooning event once a year in Pampanga called the
“Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta” held between January and
February at the Clark Freeport Zone.

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Another lighter-than-air aircraft is the airship, dirigible or blimp.

Airship- is a rigid cigar-shaped aircraft with propellers.
The Zeppelin- The more popular airship was designed by Count Ferdinand von
Zeppelin in 1900.It has a rigid metal framework and used hydrogen gas.
 The Zeppelins were used for both military and commercial purposes.
 The most famous among the Zeppelins was the Hindenburg, which carried
passengers across the North Atlantic. It was tragically destroyed by fire in 1937.
That event ended the career of the Zeppelin as a commercial aircraft.
 Out of the 97 passengers and crew on board, 62 survived. The disaster's 36
deaths included 13 passengers, 22 crewmembers and one worker on the
ground.
 Today, it is used more for advertising and TV commercials.

Heavier-Than-Air Aircraft Development

There are several personalities who have contributed to the initial designs of the first
successful heavier-than-air aircraft. The ideas and concepts of Leonardo da Vinci,
George Cayley, Otto Lilienthal, John Stringfellow, Lawrence Hargrave, and Samuel
Lanagley led to the success of Wilbur and Orville Wright. These men are not all
engineers or scientists but have been intrigued by the desire for man to fly like birds.

Leonardo da Vinci- is well-known for his artistic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and
the Last Supper, his other works have influenced the aviation development.
 He sketched flying machines such as the ornithopters.

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George Cayley- he was a British Engineer who was able to fly his glider across a small
valley, thus earning the privilege of being the first successful airman.
Otto Lilienthal- studied the ideas of Sir Cayley of how birds fly as well. He built several
gliders and flew almost 2,000 controlled flights with fixed-wing crafts.
 His works influenced the Wright Brothers, as well as other engineers and aviation
designers.
John Stringfellow- together with William Henson, they designed the Aerial Steam
Carriage in 1842. Their attempts to build flying machines powered by lightweight steam
engines were not successful.
Lawrence Hargrave- developed the compressed air engine using three rotating
cylinders in 1889.
Samuel Langley- designed and created pilotless heavier-than-air crafts in aviation
developments from the New World.
Orville and Wilbur Wright- successfully flew the Wright glider in 1902.
 December 1903- the two brothers achieved the first manned flight with their
Wright flyer, giving them rights to the claim of the first successful manned flight in
history.
Mass air travel was prominent around 1945 to 1960. After World War II, tourism was
used to promote economic aid and cultural diplomacy (Van Vleck, 2013). Airplanes sed
to transport servicemen and women during the war were converted as aircraft to carry
civilians for leisure and tourism purposes.
 The jet age started with Pan Am flight 111 “jet age pioneers” from New York to
Paris onboard Boeing 707 on October 26, 1958.
 Boeing, a US based aerospace company, built the aircraft that started the
revolution in air travel.
Concorde- an aircraft that brought the industry into the supersonic age in 1973.

History of Philippine Aviation

 The Philippines is known for shipbuilding. The Department of Trade and Industry
(2017) reported that Philippine-based shipbuilders have exported ships since
1994.
 Aviation in the Philippines came as early as 1911.

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Philippine Firsts
The following firsts were written in the book titled 100 years of Philippine Aviation
(1909-2009): A focus on Airline Management by Dr. Avelino Zapanta, a former
president and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines.
February 27, 1911- James “Bud” C. Mars flew his red devil biplane 10 miles out of
Manila. It was the first recorded first cross-country flight in the Philippines.
Gagaban- first Filipino passenger, an Igorot Chieftain flown over Luneta Park on
February 12, 1912.
Cora Wong-a nurse from the Chinese General Hospital, won a popularity contest
whose prize was to fly with Tom Gunn on April 11, 1914. The momentous event made
her the first woman passenger in Philippine aviation history.
Rosario Reyes- first international passenger who travelled with Tom Gunn to Guam.
1919- the first airline was established in the Philippines. Joseph E. H. Stevenot and
Alfred J. Croft incorporated Philippine Airways Service, Inc. (PASI) to operate
commercial airmail between Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo.
1931- the Philippine government saw the need to create an office to handle aviation
matters. The office was then organized under the Department of Commerce and
Communications.
Characteristics of Air Transport
Air transport has the following characteristics:
1. Unbroken Journey: Air transport provides unbroken journey over land and sea. It is
the fastest and quickest means of transport.
2. Rapidity: Air transport had the fastest speed among all the modes of transport.
3. Expensive: Air transport is the most expensive means of transport. There is a huge
investment in purchasing aeroplanes and constructing aerodromes.
4. Special Operations: Air transport requires special preparations like wheelers links,
meteorological stations, floodlights, searchlights etc.

Airlines Business Models

There are a huge number of airlines around the world, each with different ways of doing
business. Nevertheless, most can be categorized as belonging to one of the five main
business models, which are as follows:
 Full Service Carriers
 Low- Cost Carriers
 Charter Airlines
 Scheduled Airlines
 Cargo Airlines

1. Full- Service Carriers- are airlines that operate with a business model that includes
offering a range of pre-flight and on-board services with the price of a ticket. This may
include checked baggage, in-flight meals and multiple service classes such as first-
class, business class, economy class, etc.

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 Also called as Network Airlines. They have global route networks, huge hubs,
huge fleets, and multiple types of aircraft.
 Their operations will typically include both passenger and cargo services, and
frequent flyer programs are often an offer.
 Examples are British Airways, American Airlines, Air France and Lufthansa.

2. Low-Cost Carriers- Also known as budget airline are airlines that aim to gain a
competitive advantage over full-service carriers by reducing costs.
 They have smaller fleets and smaller aircraft and also offers limited services.
 They tend to not offer lounge services at airports and things like in-flight meals
and baggage allowances will not be included in the price of the ticket. Customers
pay for them separately.
 Examples are Ryanair, Southwest Airlines, EasyJet and Eurowings.

3. Charter Airlines- Also known as holiday carriers, air taxi or ad hoc flights require
certification from a country’s national aviation authority. Regulations are different from
typical commercial flights as they offer a non-scheduled service.
 Charter airlines are focused very firmly on providing passenger services to
tourists.
 In terms of passenger services, they are often a “middle ground” between full-
service and low-cost carriers.
 Examples are Arab Wings, Kabo Air, Blue Bird Aviation and NetJets.

4. Scheduled Airlines- operate flights that adhere to a particular schedule drawn up

months-or even years-in advance. Even if the flight is not full it should continue to
operate.
 Low cost and charter airlines don’t tend to offer much variety in terms of seating,
but scheduled airlines will have a variety of options: Economy, Premium
Economy, Business Class and First Class.
 Examples are Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Gulf Air, KLM, Cathay Pacific and
Delta.

5. Cargo Airlines- also known as freight carriers, are airlines that are either solely or
primarily focused on the air transportation of cargo or freight.
 Some cargo airlines, such as Lufthansa Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo, are
subsidiaries or sub-divisions of airlines that also offer passenger services.
 Integrated Cargo Carriers are controlled by the company including ground and
non-flight elements. Examples are UPS Airlines and FedEx Express.