Airline Business Models and Competitive Strategies: virtual simulation program - University of St Gallen

5-day (35 hours) LIVE virtual classroom course

Sharpen your management skills and apply newly acquired knowledge in a real market-based simulation game vying for market share and profitability against fellow professionals from the industry! You will run your own virtual airline using IATA’s pioneering simulation program where you can choose your fleet, network, schedule, pricing and product marketing. Adapted to various market scenarios, it gives you the opportunity to test strategic ideas in a risk-free test environment. Performance reports will show you the impact of your strategic business choices and provide input for your next strategic decisions in the game. The course provides short lectures with more time spent on devising and testing business strategies. Your objective is simple, be the most profitable airline!

This course is part of the IATA - University of St. Gallen Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in Global Aviation Management.

Course Code: ALS006VCEN01

Course format

• The live sessions of this virtual classroom course are delivered by lecturers and professors at the University of St. Gallen.
• The course will take you approximately 35 hours to complete and be held over 5 days.
• There will be 2 live instructor-led sessions per day and 2 practice sessions, each session will be 90 minutes.
• The live sessions will require your participation, with multiple Q&A sessions and additional time spent on self-study material including projects, research, additional reading and videos.
• Student performance will be based on an assessment.

Technical requirements

Please verify your hardware, software and network to support your upcoming course with IATA Training.

Prerequisites

• Participants should have one of the following: 1-2 years commercial airline experience or have successfully completed the IATA Network, Fleet and Schedule Planning course, or IATA Airline Business Foundations.
• Recommended level is Intermediate and Advanced.
• The recommended level of language proficiency is ICAO Operational Level 4 for courses in English or the equivalent level for other languages.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

• Differentiate airline business models and features
• Translate historical demand into an airline business type with unique network design and product offer
• Recognize what drives airline cost and revenue and adjust your price settings to maximize profitability
• Use operational/commercial inputs to design network strategy and convert strategy to tactics
• Improve problem solving and critical thinking by identifying and capturing market opportunities
• Select aircraft type and financing methods that best fit your network strategy and market environment
• Assess the impact of your strategic decisions and fine-tune your strategy and tactics continuously

The key topics that are covered during this course include:

• Business models
• Product development
• Network analysis and planning
• Pricing and revenue management
• Aircraft evaluation financing and acquisition
• Aircraft selection and scheduling

This course is recommended for:

• Airline middle and senior management
• Airline pricing and revenue managers
• Airline network development managers

A CFAC-UNISG Confirmation of Attendance is awarded upon successful completion of the course and assessment (required for the DAS Program).