Air Transportation Industry: History and Developments

Air Transportation Industry considers the influence of political, legal, economic, social, and technological factors on the developments in the industry. It provides a brief historical background of the air transport industry, the determinants of the changes in the airline business, and adaptation processes that resulted in the evolution of business models and structural changes in the industry.

Utilizing a unique database containing the characteristics of more than 16,000 air carriers worldwide, the book discusses key findings related to changes in the transport capacity of airlines operating at different points in time, including the length of the lifecycle and reasons for termination of activity, types, and geographical scope of operations. It also explores the impacts of global and regional-scale legal regulations.

The book will interest air transportation and airport operations researchers. It can also serve as a reference for management and operations transportation students in logistics, air transportation, and economics courses.

Edward Majewski is a full Professor at the Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland). His main field of scientific interest is Sustainable Development focusing on environmental aspects. His most recent research activities are related to supply chain management. He has been involved as a team leader or coordinator in the realization of about 40 research projects financed from national and EU funding sources. His teaching activities included lecturing on Strategic Management, Total Quality Management, and supervising MSc as well Ph.D. thesis within the disciplines of Economics and Logistics. Professor Majewski established and ran the Master of Business Administration Executive Program at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences for 20 years. He is the author of approx. 200 scientific publications.

Konrad Stasiczak holds a BSc in Logistics, and he is a graduate of the University of Customs and Logistics. He has 19 years of experience in the logistics sector with a high specialization in air and sea transportation. He is a pilot and simulator instructor, aviation photographer, and spotter. He is an aviation podcast host and aviation journalist, a reporter interviewing pilots and individuals associated with aviation, for whom it is the greatest passion, and often a way of life.

Sonia Huderek-Glapska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microeconomics at Poznań University of Economics and Business. She received her Ph.D. in economics, specializing in the relationship between air transport and regional development, specifically in Central and Eastern Europe. She is the editor and co-author of book on airport management written in Polish and she has international papers published in journals. She has been involved in numerous projects at airports, including studies of airport strategic management, airport customer behavior and airport economic impact.

Lukasz Olipra, PhD, is an Assistant Professor working for the Department of Economic Policy and European Regional Studies, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Poland). His main research field is air transport and its impact on socio-economic development with particular emphasis on regional development. He was a Management Committee Member Substitute in a COST Action ’Air Transport and Regional Development’ (ATARD), participated in many international mobilities (e.g. United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Croatia) as well as numerous national and international conferences; hence his scientific relations allowed him to contribute to international joined research. He is the author or co-author of over 40 papers and 2 research books. He used to work for the Wroclaw Copernicus Airport as coordinator of market research and cooperated with several other companies in different industries as a consultant.

Wojciech Augustyniak, PhD is an assistant professor working for the Institute of Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business (Poland). His main research fields are transport economics and finance. He is the author or co-author of over 20 papers and 3 research books. He was also the reviewer of several Polish and foreign journals.