Gender in the cockpit: Challenges faced by female airline pilots

Despite the increasing number of female pilots in recent years, the aviation industry is still considered a male-dominated one. Being underrepresented in an occupation and working in an industry with masculine discourses create several challenges for female pilots. This study aims to identify gender-related career challenges experienced by female pilots based in Turkey. The findings of the study reveal that female commercial airline pilots have been experiencing gender prejudice and discrimination in the workplace. These prejudices and discriminations place considerable psychological burden on them which can significantly affect their behaviour and performance. Considering the findings of the study, several recommendations are given to the airline companies and the society in supporting female pilots’ career advancement.     

Why culture matters for transport policy: the case of cycling in the UK

Policy seeks to support cycling as a form of sustainable and active travel, yet, cycling levels in the UK remain low and evidence about interventions mixed. Data from a qualitative sociological study is used here to explore the difference that cultural meanings make to cycling practices in four different English urban areas. Specifically, we discuss differences between places with established cycling cultures and those with newer cycling cultures. Drawing on concepts from practice theory we discuss the role that cultures of cycling play within the four places, and suggest how the meanings of cycling, including its association with other social identities, are connected to the materials and competences seen as necessary for cycling. Our research highlights the embedding of transport in local as well as national cultures, and the associated need for policy-makers to take culture seriously in considering how to shift transport practices.     

The persuasiveness of framed commercial messages: A note on marketing implications for the airline industry

This study uses the concepts of customer segmentation and time pressure to examine the persuasiveness of commercial message framing. It finds positively framed (PF) messages are more persuasive than negatively framed (NF) messages when directed toward intensively involved air travelers under time pressures but that NF messages are more persuasive when directed toward interested air travelers not under any great time constraints. Further, uninterested (minimally involved) air travelers may fail to be persuaded by any message framing regardless of how pressed they are for time.     

Organizational trust and safety operation behavior in airline pilots: The mediating effects of organizational identification and organizational commitment

As an important issue for the sustainable development of a country, aviation security is important for either the development of aviation enterprises or the stability and orderliness of the whole society. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to explore the roles of organizational trust, organizational identification, and organizational commitment in safety operation behavior (SOB) for one hundred forty-three airline pilots. Correlation analysis indicated that organizational trust, organizational identification, organizational commitment, and SOB were significantly correlated with each other. Bootstrap analysis showed that airline pilots' organizational identification and organizational commitment mediated the relationship between their organizational trust and SOB in aviation. Implications for research and instructions for how to improve airline pilots’ SOB in aviation are discussed.     

英国铁路考察报告

英国铁路自上世纪90年代以来经历了艰难曲折的私有化改革之路,＂网运分离＂后的英国铁路在路网的所有、经营与监管上出现了诸多问题,在经过路网公司重新国有化后,英国铁路步入了正轨,并制定了铁路发展战略规划,开始了高铁建设和运营。英国铁路在管理体制、监管体系、运营模式、投资形式、服务理念、安全观念等方面有着比较丰富和成熟的案例和经验,对我国铁路大规模建设和运营具有积极的借鉴意义,对我国铁路改革具有一定的启示。     

Going steerage on Ryanair: cultures of migrant air travel between Poland and the UK

One of the most high profile migration movements to the UK in recent years has undoubtedly been that of A8, and mainly Polish, newcomers following the 2004 expansion of the EU. Accompanying, and perhaps fuelling, this increase in mobility has been a substantial rise in low cost air travel provision. The UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Office of the Republic of Poland statistics testify to the expansion in passenger numbers between Poland and the UK since 2004, with Ryanair being one of the main carriers. Although other modes of transport, such as coach and car travel, are still important, in some senses these Ryanair flights define this new migration. Taking as a starting point that airports and airplanes are social and cultural venues in their own right, and that migration journeys are themselves at the heart of the migration experience, this article uses interviews with Polish migrants in the UK to consider this low cost air travel for migration in more depth. Firstly it briefly charts the increase in air travel between Poland and the UK, considering the narratives of mobility cultures collected with the migrants. Secondly it investigates the collective dimension of travelling for migration on these flights and the tensions which emerge around this collectivity. Finally, it reflects on the wider costs and contexts of low cost shuttle flights as a late capitalist mode of migration transport.     

Responsibilities,recession and the tourism sector: perspectives on CSR among low-fares airlines during the economic downturn in the UK

Responsibility has featured prominently in recent discussions about tourism governance. Nevertheless, research into corporate social responsibility (CSR) among travel and tourism businesses is at a relatively early stage. This paper reports on external stakeholders' perceptions of CSR among low-fares airlines (LFAs) in peripheral regions of the UK in late 2008; that is, during the current global economic downturn. LFAs, their business plans and their ability to contribute towards sustainable development have been the source of much public discourse and media scrutiny in the last decade. This paper does not set out to reopen that debate per se. Rather, it contributes to a deeper understanding of CSR in the tourism sector by arguing for a more nuanced approach to external stakeholders, one which is also informed by primary empirical research from qualitative sources, and which is conceptually informed by the latest thinking from other sectors of economic activity. Important inter-regional variations exist in external stakeholders' perceptions and valorisations of CSR, they are context-specific, and they are not static as their responses to the recent downturn reveal.     

Safety climate of a commercial airline: A cross-sectional comparison of four occupational groups

This study aimed to assess the safety climate of a major commercial airline from the Asia–Pacific region using a self-developed online survey instrument. Besides getting an holistic view of the safety culture of the company at the time of the survey, separate analyses were conducted among different occupational groups and within each group to test if occupations and employment experience had any effect on employees' perception of safety climate. The results of the analyses suggested that the overall safety climate of the airline was generally robust across different occupations. Statistical analysis demonstrated that effect of employment history was significant across different occupations. Variance in safety climate among the different occupational groups was also identified in the analysis, indicating the possible existence of sub-cultures within each group. In addition to providing a “snapshot” of the safety culture of the subject airline, this study has the potential of being used as a safety culture analysis template, with certain customizations, by other airlines/organizations.     

Sustainability ranking of the UK major ports: Methodology and case study

Maritime supply chain sustainability has not been widely studied to date. This paper investigates the sustainability performance of five major UK ports. The UK port system is one of the largest and busiest port systems both in Europe and worldwide. The scope of sustainability narrows down to economical and environmental dimensions. A questionnaire is developed to collect data from port managers and logistics experts. The AHP method is utilized to rank the ports using the collected data. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on the obtained data to verify the consistency among data and outcomes.     

Clustered airline flight scheduling: Evidence from airline deregulation in Korea

This paper explores the impacts of competition level on airline scheduling in the Korean domestic short-haul routes where a hub-and-spoke system is not the optimal air transport network strategy. The empirical findings using the Korean airline panel data for the period 2006–2010 suggest that competition leads to less differentiated departure flight times as expected from spatial competition theory. Unlike the previous study on the U.S airline industry, the degree of this tendency for less differentiation differs across the type of routes: the Jeju island routes (leisure type) and the inland routes (business type), in the deregulated period. Following the May 2008 Deregulation Act we find an increasingly clustered pattern of airline scheduling in the Jeju island routes where there have been competitive pressures associated with new low cost entrants. This recent evidence would imply that airline carriers strategically schedule departure flight times and allocate flights between routes as competition increases in the deregulated period.     

Total factor productivity analysis of the UK airport industry: A Hicks-Moorsteen index method

This study examines the total factor productivity (TFP) change of the UK airport industry from 2001 to 2009 using a Hicks-Moorsteen index method. The results show that the industry experienced an average annual growth in TFP of 0.32 per cent with efficiency change being the main contributor to the TFP growth. We find that private UK airports enjoy slightly higher TFP growth than those in public or mixed ownership. Regulation and airport size are found to have statistically significant effects on the airport productivity level.     

The effect of job stress on the quality of life of commercial pilots: Testing the mediating effects of mindfulness and job satisfaction

The commercial pilots responsible for aircraft and passenger safety are exposed to various environmental job stresses. This study investigates the relationship between job stress and the quality of life of commercial pilots, and examines the mediating effects of mindfulness and job satisfaction in the relationship between job stress and quality of life. The results show that the job stress aced by commercial pilots has a negative impact on quality of life, and that mindfulness and job satisfaction partially mediates this stress. However, despite the mediating effects of mindfulness and job satisfaction, there is a need for a way to reduce job stress more directly. These results indicate the need for various strategies, including direct and indirect methods, to reduce job stress among commercial pilots, as this is directly related to safety.     

Return labour migration: an exploratory study of Polish migrant workers from the UK hospitality industry

Incoming labour migration represents an important research field, especially in the context of East-Central Europe, a key source region of labour migrants to the tourism and hospitality sectors of many Western economies, including the UK. Surprisingly, return labour migration from the UK to this region has not been systematically examined and yet there is increasing evidence of its significance, especially in light of Brexit. The labour migrant motivations to return and their re-integration experiences back home remain poorly understood. This study adopts a qualitative method of data collection and analysis to explore return migration of the Polish workforce from the UK hospitality sector. Homesickness and educational pursuits are identified as the key drivers. The UK employment experience enhances career prospects of former migrants and yet it largely benefits non-hospitality related sectors of the domestic economy. While the re-integration experiences of former migrants are generally positive and the majority are content with the decision to return, some consider an opportunity to re-migrate.     

Performance assessment of UK airports: Evidence from a Bayesian dynamic frontier model

This paper analyzes the cost efficiency of UK airports over the period 1998-2008, using a Bayesian dynamic frontier model. This model provides a more structural explanation for the variation in airports inefficiency than has been presented by previous models, and also allows for cost inefficiency effects. On average, the dynamic frontier results, estimated via the Markov Chain Monte-Carlo simulation, indicate that UK airports improved their efficiency over time. Factors found to be important determinants of cost efficiency include airport size, price regulation, price cap variations and airport competition. Policy implications of the results are derived.     

Travelling to the Ancestral Homelands: The Aspirations and Experiences of a UK Caribbean Community

This paper is based on an ethnographic study of the Caribbean community of Moss Side, Manchester (UK). Its aim is to reveal, interpret and analyse the personal meanings which members of the community attach to visiting the ancestral homeland in the Caribbean. This form of travel is defined in terms of 'ethnic reunion', which involves travelling for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives and/or searching for one's cultural roots. The study, which is based on an interpretive analysis of a range of ethnographic material, initially examines the reasons why first- and second-generation Caribbeans wish to participate in the 'homeland experience', and then illustrates ways in which they reconstruct an identity of themselves through their travel perceptions and experiences. The latter part of the paper discusses how people's travel encounters serve to illustrate how ethnic differences and boundaries between groups are constructed and/or reconstructed. It is argued that established perspectives of tourism motivation and behaviour do not fully account for the role of ethnicity as a significant variable in influencing specific forms of travel. The conclusion asserts that ethnic reunion should be conceptually viewed as a distinct form of 'travel', socioculturally dissimilar to conventional forms of 'tourism'.     

A study on the importance of airline selection attributes by airline type: An emphasis on the difference of opinion in between Korean and overseas aviation experts

The main purpose of this research is to understand the relative importance of airline selection attributes that are considered important by passengers when selecting an airline. Specifically, we analyzed how the attribute selections differed based on airline types, a Full Service Carrier (FSC) and a Low Cost Carrier (LCC). For this purpose, a Delphi analysis was performed with 34 Korean aviation experts and 32 overseas aviation experts as the target sample groups. Statistical tests including Mann-Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, were used to analyze the selection attributes. In the case of FSCs, safety, flight schedule, cabin interior, and fast check-in processes were considered to be important selection attributes whereas for LCCs, air fare level, flight safety, the convenience of air ticket purchasing procedures, and additional charges were considered to be the important selection attributes. Additionally, there was a difference in the importance of airline selection attributes depending on whether it was a Korean or overseas aviation market. The result of these findings may be utilized as basic data in establishing a marketing strategy for an airline company to attract more passengers.     

Price volatility in the airline markets

In this article we examine volatility measures and investigate what factors explain price volatility in different US domestic air routes. We find that volatility remains reasonably stable up to 2 weeks prior to the flight, at which point it increases significantly. The type, LCC or legacy carrier, and identity of the airlines appears to have a major impact on the volatility measures, and that these effects are different for 2 weeks out and 1 day out, even after controlling for market differences.     

Optimal purchase timing in the airline market

This paper presents general patterns in airline pricing behaviour and a methodology for analysing different routes and/or carriers. The purpose is to provide customers with the relevant information they need to decide the best time to purchase a ticket, striking a balance between the desire to save money and any time restraints the buyer may have.The study shows how non-parametric isotonic regression techniques, as opposed to standard parametric techniques, are particularly useful. Most importantly, we can determine the margin of time consumers may delay their purchase without significant price increase, specify the economic loss for each day the purchase is delayed and detect when it is better to wait until the last day to make a purchase.As an application, we analysed air fares for routes from Madrid to London, Frankfurt, New York and Paris over the course of two months, taking into account advance-purchase ticket sales of up to 30 days. We found that the consumer has a margin of 18 days prior to departure within which to purchase a ticket without any significant economic penalty.     

A voice in the skies: Listening to airline passenger preferences

This study aims to identify the impact levels and priorities in the service expectations that passengers have when identifying a preferred airline. The results are based on probabilities and impacts, and can help airlines to accurately understand the preference criteria of their passengers. The priorities of the passengers may differ according to the airline chosen; therefore, the probabilities shown in this study can inform senior airline managers about the passenger perspective. This study uses the Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis-2 (SMAA-2) method. SMAA-2 identifies the priorities and impact levels of passengers’ expectations on airline selection, and the ranking of alternative firms according to the probability. According to the obtained results, Airline 3 (AF₃) is the most preferred airline with the highest confidence rate. This airline operates based on a low-cost model that allows passengers to choose additional services for additional charges. The passenger expectations that have the highest impact on the preference when selecting an airline are 1) ticket prices, 2) punctuality, and 3) booking convenience. Free in-flight food and beverages, the variety and quality of the food and beverages, and voyager miles programs for loyal customers are found to have no impact on the ranking of airlines. The expectations identified by the passengers in this study are related to the outcome quality dimension, with services dominated by flexible features. The findings of this study define the passenger as a rational decision maker who is price sensitive.     

A combined MCDM model based on DEMATEL and ANP for the selection of airline service quality improvement criteria: A study based on the Taiwanese airline industry

The aim of this study is to select airline service quality improvement criteria for the Taiwanese airline industry. Numerous factors such as low railway prices, the development of high-speed rail, increases in petroleum prices, increases in foreign airline competition, and the recent economic depression have led many airlines in Taiwan to encounter financial difficulties and even closure. Researchers have begun to identify critical service quality improvement criteria with the goal of increasing the competitive advantages of airlines. Most of the selected criteria, however, suffer from a major technical problem: all of the measurement dimensions are independent, leading to inadequate criteria for measuring service quality. Our calculations consider the interrelationships and effects among the evaluation dimensions and criteria to precisely rank and select criteria. The value of this study is that it provides airlines with a direction for measuring and improving their service quality with the goal of developing sustained competitive advantage over the long term.