MSc Air Transport Planning and Management Welcome to MORE 2024

Nigel Dennis (Course Leader), Frances Kremarik, Andrew Cook, Anne Graham, Sugandhi Jayaraman

Nigel Dennis is the course leader and a specialist in airline economics, forecasting, scheduling and operations. He has served on international committees including those of the Transportation Research Board in the US and the Association for European Transport.

Andrew Cook is a professor leading the department’s air traffic management research and sits on national and international ATM committees.  He also lectures on air transport market research and data analysis.

Anne Graham is an emeritus professor, specialising in airport economics, finance and aviation issues related to tourism. She is author of the book Managing Airports published by Butterworth-Heinemann. 

Frances Kremarik is a senior lecturer who is closely involved in the day-to-day running of the course and specialises in airline networks and the North Atlantic market, passenger rights and disability issues, airline marketing, as well as air travel statistics and surveys.

Sugandhi Jayaraman is a lecturer focusing on airport management and operations, sustainability and environmental issues, and the digitisation of air travel.

THE MSc AIR TRANSPORT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT is a very practical course that brings together academic content with a large number of specialist contributors from the aviation industry. It is uniquely taught in block mode where students attend for modules of five days’ duration, making it very accessible to part-time students working in the aviation industry both in the UK and internationally. Additional activities are arranged for full-time students in-between the module blocks, including tutorial and discussion sessions, guest lectures and visits to airport facilities and outside events.

Students come from a range of disciplines (first degrees have included Economics, Geography, Engineering, Languages and Music). No prior knowledge of the air transport industry is assumed but a passion for aviation is one of the best qualifications taken in conjunction with a formal academic background or equivalent appropriate work experience.

Students take three taught core modules: Air Transport Economics; Air Transport Management and Operations; Air Transport Forecasting and Market Research; and select three taught option modules, currently from a choice of four: Airport Finance and Strategy; Air Transport Policy and Planning; Airline Marketing and Business Models; and Air Traffic Management, Scheduling and Network Planning. Students also have the possibility of a free choice module from another suitable programme in place of one of the three options. Most modules include a group workshop or business game in which students apply their knowledge to work as a team in a competitive environment.

The Research Dissertation is also a core module undertaken in the second half of the study period. A wide range of aspects of the aviation business can be analysed and this year’s dissertations have covered subjects including: forecasting demand for air travel and implications for airport capacity; adaptation of military airports in Thailand for air transport; prospects for an ultra-low cost carrier in the Indian domestic market; the reduction of UK domestic air services following the pandemic and future prospects; feasibility of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for short-haul aircraft; airline alliances and mergers in Africa; impact of virtual video platforms on business travel by air.

Guest Speakers: Carole Blackshaw (aviation consultant), Neil Cottrell (formerly British Airways), Guillaume Burghouwt (Schiphol Group), Adrian Clark (NATS), Tim Coombs (Aviation Economics), Tim Hawkins (Manchester Airports Group), Kelly Ison (American Airlines), Antoinette Nassopoulos (Foster and Partners), Daniel Prinz (Lufthansa Industry Solutions), Simon McNamara (Heart Aerospace), Tim Wheen (Heathrow Airport)