Airline Research Paper Introduction

The Airline Research Paper is an individual student effort but with roots in the group collaboration. Students will choose an airline (passenger or cargo) associated with their group’s region and individually write a critical analysis of the airline’s operation. The paper will cover the listed topics (as a minimum) in a paper of 8 to 12 pages (not including title and reference pages) in current APA format. Note: A paper of this length does not require an abstract or table of contents. The paper is due at the end of Module 8. Refer to the rubric in 8.3 Assignment: Airline Research Paper for specific grading information.
Topics will include:
Introduction and brief history of the chosen airline
Fleet analysis including issues associated with fleet composition
Route structure analysis (hub and spoke, point to point, or linear)
For example, does the route structure fit the regional needs?
Cost control analysis
For example, how effective is the airline at controlling their costs, and what techniques (like fuel hedging) do they use?
Profitability
Historic, recent, and your future profit projections
Recommendations for improvement
In this activity, you will submit your Airline Research Paper. Refer to 1.7 Airline Research Paper Introduction for more information and the rubric in this activity for specific grading information.
Your paper will automatically be evaluated through Turnitin when you submit your assignment in this activity. Turnitin is a service that checks your work for improper citation or potential plagiarism by comparing it against a database of web pages, student papers, and articles from academic books and publications. Ensure that your work is entirely your own and that you have not plagiarized any material!
Save your assignment using a naming convention that includes your first and last name and the activity number (or description). Do not add punctuation or special characters.

Overview
Fire exit sign in smoky airplane cabin.Early in aviation, accidents were often the result of some type of mechanical breakdown. Reciprocating
engines were troublesome, instruments were rudimentary, and manufacturing processes were inexact. Over time, advancements in not only manufacturing and technology but also regulation have improved immensely, and nowadays, most aircraft accidents are a result of human error.
To quote one of this week’s resources, the ICAO Safety Management Manual,
“While the elimination of aircraft accidents and/or serious incidents remains the ultimate goal, it is recognized that the aviation system cannot be completely free of hazards and associated risks. Human activities or human-built systems cannot be guaranteed to be absolutely free from operational errors and their consequences.”
With that philosophy in mind, this module focuses on current ICAO and FAA efforts to manage risk through Safety Management Systems. We also look at NASA’s future aviation safety concerns and analyze mitigation controls and strategies to prevent future accidents.
Module Objectives
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
Analyze risk management processes applicable to air transportation. (LO 6)
Describe the FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS) approach to aviation safety. (LO 4)
Discuss the systematic procedures, practices, and policies SMS sets forth for the management of safety risk. (LO 4)
Critically analyze unfamiliar material in the area of air transportation. (LO 8)
Demonstrate appropriate selection and application of a research method. (LO 9)
Prepare written reports in the required format. (LO 9)