Austrian Airlines launches direct flights from Miami to Vienna

As of this month, South Florida-based world jaunters have several new air travel options and expanded capacity on existing routes.

Spotlight

Airports Company South Africa

"Airports Company South Africa was formed in 1993 as a public company and, although majority owned by the South African Government, is legally and financially autonomous and operates under commercial law. Over the years, the company has transformed a fragmented, infrastructural parastatal into a focused, customer driven, efficient and commercially successful business. The company manages a network of nine airports in South Africa, including the three main international gateways of O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town International and King Shaka International Airports. In 2012, the nine airports facilitated nearly 36 million passengers."

OTHER ARTICLES
Defense and Space

A Peek into The Future of Piloting Airplanes

Article | June 8, 2022

Flying is changing, and so is the future of piloting. With technological advancements across the aviation industry, one can only anticipate what’s in store for the future of piloting. The battle between automation and learning skills that automation can easily take over is coming to a head. As airplane engineering matures, the aviation industry isn’t far from seeing a day when pilots who have undergone training on electric trainers require a license endorsement to fly a piston-powered aircraft. Goodbye, Manual Flying Airplanes are becoming downright easier to fly. Consider how most pilots today would never be able to fly the aircraft that their seniors trained in. According to experts, piloting skills will put more emphasis on the efficient use of airspace systems instead of directing and maneuvering the aircraft. Decoding Airplane Information Traditionally, a pilot’s primary task was to gather and decode the information he received through the aircraft’s systems. This information was then used to give the pilot an “air picture” which allowed him to get a sense of the air traffic, airspace, and weather. As aircraft technology improves, pilots will no longer need to know how to do this. Instead, the "air picture" will be shown on a screen in front of them. Final Word From augmented reality to 3D spatial audio cues, augmentation is happening to aircraft as well as the pilot’s ability to fly them. The evolution of aviation technology will only help transform the mechanics of airplanes, and pilots will no longer need to handle flight control. As augmented reality takes over, future cockpits might not even need to be at the front of the aircraft or have windows. That would be the true test of the future of piloting.

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Air Transport

Aviation Marketing: Budget Control is a New Survival Metric amid the Pandemic

Article | July 15, 2022

Skift research shows that 90% of airline marketers have dropped their marketing budgets due to the pandemic.The pandemic brought massive changes in marketing. Due to this, CMOs navigated through restricted availability of resources and shifted airline companies’ guidelines for months. CMOs find increasingly difficult to rely on conventional financial and managerial aspects like typical cost setting—the way profitability was being achieved, fuel consumption, accounting decision making, investments, manufacturing and more. Due to these challenges, airline brands are bound to sternly reevaluate their current and future marketing process to maintain a steady flow of income and increase ROI. So, it’s quite possible that your marketing tactics also may have suffered due to the pandemic. Right? And now you must think, “How much should your budget be for marketing?” It’s an important question. It’s because most aviation businesses do not have a considerable aviation marketing budget. The answer to your concern lies here, “spend the least amount that achieves your business objectives.” A lot has transformed since the outbreak of the pandemic. Yet, there are novel opportunities in aviation marketing activities. So, let's take a closer look at some of the opportunities that might help control your aviation marketing budget. Opportunity No.1: Invest in Paid Advertisements; they are cheap! Paid advertisements are becoming cheaper. These are in higher demand when it comes to aviation marketing. It makes sense because the way digital advertisements are making money is going to benefit marketers. First, the paid ads drive the cost per click (CPC), so investing here can increase the ROI. Second, as the pandemic forced companies to focus on all-digital processes, as it prompts the audience to spend more time online. Resultantly, traffic on the web is up, and there are lots of ads. It means ads are cheaper. Even conversion rates are increasing now. It’s because the ads online are evolving at the same rate as it was before the pandemic. Therefore, you must take advantage of paid ads to start with controlling your aviation marketing costs. Opportunity No. 2: Determine your Annual Customer Value The key to having controlled aviation marketing costs is to have an average customer revenue. If you haven’t calculated yet, then you should begin with it. Begin tracking the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. Once you begin with it, you will calculate how much money is spent on every customer or a new customer. The other important aspect to consider is how wisely you spend the dollars in a limited budget. And that’s where a marketing plan comes into action. A well-improvised marketing plan may include proper tactics, tools, and platforms. But to implement all these things effectively requires an adequate budget. However, how to use them requires a thorough analysis and experts’ experience. Usually, marketers make a mistake by spending too much on a single marketing tactic. And this results in a considerable loss. So, to control your budget, be intelligent to concentrate on a selected marketing tool and platform. And then spend dollars on it. Tapping on this approach, you will create a cost-effective marketing plan, which will give better marketing results. Besides, your customers might equally feel satisfied by getting worthwhile results. Well, in reality, it will be easy for you to determine the annual value of money spent on each customer. Opportunity No. 3: Review Investment Plans When looking at the aviation marketing budget, it’s advisable to review investment plans carefully. The investment plan is crucial when you need to control your aviation marketing. Having an in-depth knowledge of it can lead you to save big. Also, it might bring opportunities further for your airline business. For example, in December 2019, JetBlue announced a marketing structural cost program. It aimed at producing $250-$300 million by 2020 through cost savings. According to the company’s 2020 annual report, the program emphasizes these points: Technical marketing operations Planning, automation, and executing efficient activities online .(Like on a website, social media platforms, online campaigns, and more) • Decreasing distribution costs • Tax reformation All these aspects demonstrate opportunities to propel business growth. We are extremely excited about the potential for increased business demand with the costs and tax cut. - Glen Hauenstein, President of Delta Airlines. So, consider if you can reduce, delay and/or eliminate non-essential marketing tasks or not. Then, find opportunities to help you do a transition from costly, inefficient technological aspects to more cost-efficient technology, thus, driving more valuable results. The bottom line is that you must understand where it makes sense to cut costs and where to make the proper investments because it's about bolstering your airline business. With the help of this, you can create value for customers, partners, and investors in no time. Opportunity No. 4: Encourage Innovative Digital Engagement Some of the top airlines like Delta Airlines and its marketing teams use innovative engagement methods through digitalization. Yes! After being hit by the deadly pandemic, Delta lost $60 million in cash each day. Delta CEO Ed Bastian revealed that Delta airlines reduced 80% of its operation. “Delta will weather the storm by sticking to our shared values of honesty, persistence, and service to our customers and our communities. We encourage digitalization to the core. And that has helped our customers easy to connect us.” - Delta CEO Ed Bastian With this approach, Delta further forecasts its revenue to rise by 90% by the end of 2021. So, you can see how investing in digital methods can help revenue rise without going out of budget or crossing the budget line. When you introduce automation, AR, VR in your aviation marketing efforts, it will drive value from existing customers and engage potential customers. For example, you can create innovative videos for social media, visual online campaigns, presentations, and more. Finally, remember to “Have Patience and Carry On” It is critical to managing finance, especially in global disasters like coronavirus. However, today's marketing budget may seem exhausting when aviation businesses compete each day. But it is helpful at the end of the day! Controlling your aviation marketing costs will lead you to increase your ROI. And this way, you will get valuable prospects, which is even more critical in the current scenario. Moving ahead with not-so-hard marketing budget control, you will require powerful leadership, top competency with courage and empathy, and the correct data, of course. So, having all these aspects and proactive measures in place, you will be able to outshine again. So, which one of the opportunities are you going to implement first? Frequently Asked Questions How do airline businesses do marketing? Marketing is the best practice to build trust among airline customers. The marketers offer rewards to customers so that they become loyal to an airline brand. They also run campaign activities, provide rich informational content, produce videos to educate and motivate customers. This is how engagement increases along with loyal numbers of customers. What are the leading airline expenses? The leading airline expenses are as follows: The employment process expenses. These expenses are the most critical operational cost of an airline (33.5%). Fuel expenses (19.6%). Sales and marketing expenses. They are approximately 15.7% on the rise. How do airlines control the marketing budget? There are several ways the airline controls its marketing budget. A few of them are: By conducting fuel-saving strategies Operation procedure simplification Introducing automation Technology implementation { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How do airline businesses do marketing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Marketing is the best practice to build trust among airline customers. The marketers offer rewards to customers so that they become loyal to an airline brand. They also run campaign activities, provide rich informational content, produce videos to educate and motivate customers. This is how engagement increases along with loyal numbers of customers." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the leading airline expenses?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The leading airline expenses are as follows: The employment process expenses. These expenses are the most critical operational cost of an airline (33.5%). Fuel expenses (19.6%). Sales and marketing expenses. They are approximately 15.7% on the rise." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How do airlines control the marketing budget?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There are several ways the airline controls its marketing budget. A few of them are: By conducting fuel-saving strategies Operation procedure simplification Introducing automation Technology implementation" } }] }

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Business Aviation

AI in Aviation: What’s the Word?

Article | January 28, 2022

DataBridge recently released a new market research analysis on AI in aviation, and the findings are promising. The aviation industry has relied on artificial intelligence (AI) for years. The technology has assisted pilots through machine learning algorithms to collect flight data about altitudes, air traffic management, weather, and route distance. It has enabled them to optimize fuel usage and reduce fuel costs. And now, it is going further. AI has been cascading into other areas of aviation. Here are some trends to note from the “Global Artificial Intelligence in Aviation Market” study. Benefitting Ground Operations AI is extensively used in real-time support systems and air traffic control. From automated baggage check-in to facial recognition, it is powering several ground operations. These functions contribute heavily to maximizing resources, reducing labor costs, and enhancing seamlessness across different processes. Improving Performance and Processes with Machine Learning (ML) The emergence of AI in aviation is thanks to a surge of capital investments by key aviation players. Cloud computing is being used by many organizations as a way to consolidate processes and deal with complexity better. Impacting How Planes will be Piloted AI will considerably impact the future of piloting as we know it. Building on Airbus’ first ever takeoff, landing and taxi using vision-based AI in 2020, prominent aerospace tech firms continue to work on self-piloting planes or passenger autonomous aerial vehicles (AV) that will employ AI-powered intelligent navigation to fly. Improving Efficiency and Accuracy for Manual Processes According to aviation experts, ML digital assistants are able to process massive volumes of historical data in order to support ground staff and pilots alike. With AI’s capabilities of enabling elusive insights into patterns and complexities of data, the technology is considered ideal for aviation, where there is no room for errors. The Path Ahead The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of new technologies in pushing the envelope and innovating solutions. The evolution of technology will only propel the adoption of AI further into the aviation industry. With multiple use cases and brilliant results from the use of AI, the aviation industry is all set for a digital transformation fuelled by data, machine learning and precision

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Business Aviation

Travel Testing May Be Ending, But Airline Health Safety Measures Are Here To Stay

Article | January 28, 2022

The UK government has announced that from 11th February, fully vaccinated passengers arriving into the country will no longer have to take COVID-19 tests on arrival. The news follows the removal of pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated UK-bound passengers this month. The relaxation of testing measures is something the aviation industry has been actively campaigning for, as it removes barriers to travel. Just today, IATA distributed a press release advocating for similar moves to be made by further governments. It cited a study focused on the UK carried out by Oxera and Edge Health which found that because Omicron is now highly prevalent in the UK, “if all travel testing requirements were removed there would be no impact on Omicron case numbers or hospitalizations.”

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Spotlight

Airports Company South Africa

"Airports Company South Africa was formed in 1993 as a public company and, although majority owned by the South African Government, is legally and financially autonomous and operates under commercial law. Over the years, the company has transformed a fragmented, infrastructural parastatal into a focused, customer driven, efficient and commercially successful business. The company manages a network of nine airports in South Africa, including the three main international gateways of O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town International and King Shaka International Airports. In 2012, the nine airports facilitated nearly 36 million passengers."

Related News

Miami International Airport moves to cut long waits in lines

Miami Today | December 11, 2018

County commissioners last week OK’d a contract with SITA Information Networking Computing USA to install systems to analyze lines and predict wait times at security checkpoints, allowing airport resources and staff to be allocated as needed leading, in theory, to shorter and faster lines. The county will pay SITA $2.92 million over five years to install and activate the system. It then has five one-year renewal options for continued maintenance and support valued in total at $763,000, Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt wrote. The system will improve customer service, reduce queue wait times, increase non-aeronautical revenue and make informed decisions to improve overall airport operations, he wrote, by providing accurate real-time and historical data analytics for determining the average… wait times at all checkpoints [and] accurately measuring, counting and tracking passengers, staff and key asset movements.

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MIA closing in on serving Israel’s El Al Airlines

Volaris | February 14, 2017

Miami International Airport is inching closer to serving Israel’s El Al Airlines after county aviation officials visited Israel this month. The delegation, led by Director Emilio T. González, met with senior officials from El Al and Ben Gurion International Airport, the airline’s hub, Israel’s main international airport and its busiest, 12 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.

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Azul Airlines’ David Neeleman on the economy, Zika and the Olympics

Azul Brazilian Airlines | November 09, 2016

Low-cost air travel has been a hallmark of David Neeleman’s career since he founded Utah-based Morris Air, Canadian airline Westjet, JetBlue, and now Azul Brazilian Airlines, his latest venture. It is that affordable travel philosophy that is helping the Sao Paulo native lead his company through a Brazilian storm caused by a hemorrhaging economy, political unrest and Zika-induced health crisis. Throw in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and Neeleman has a full plate to contend with.

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Miami International Airport moves to cut long waits in lines

Miami Today | December 11, 2018

County commissioners last week OK’d a contract with SITA Information Networking Computing USA to install systems to analyze lines and predict wait times at security checkpoints, allowing airport resources and staff to be allocated as needed leading, in theory, to shorter and faster lines. The county will pay SITA $2.92 million over five years to install and activate the system. It then has five one-year renewal options for continued maintenance and support valued in total at $763,000, Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt wrote. The system will improve customer service, reduce queue wait times, increase non-aeronautical revenue and make informed decisions to improve overall airport operations, he wrote, by providing accurate real-time and historical data analytics for determining the average… wait times at all checkpoints [and] accurately measuring, counting and tracking passengers, staff and key asset movements.

Read More

MIA closing in on serving Israel’s El Al Airlines

Volaris | February 14, 2017

Miami International Airport is inching closer to serving Israel’s El Al Airlines after county aviation officials visited Israel this month. The delegation, led by Director Emilio T. González, met with senior officials from El Al and Ben Gurion International Airport, the airline’s hub, Israel’s main international airport and its busiest, 12 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.

Read More

Azul Airlines’ David Neeleman on the economy, Zika and the Olympics

Azul Brazilian Airlines | November 09, 2016

Low-cost air travel has been a hallmark of David Neeleman’s career since he founded Utah-based Morris Air, Canadian airline Westjet, JetBlue, and now Azul Brazilian Airlines, his latest venture. It is that affordable travel philosophy that is helping the Sao Paulo native lead his company through a Brazilian storm caused by a hemorrhaging economy, political unrest and Zika-induced health crisis. Throw in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and Neeleman has a full plate to contend with.

Read More

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