The paper deals with the global nature of some players in airport ground handling industry. We provide a comprehensive overview of factors that cause fragmentation in the ground handling industry to explain the context in which global players develop their business internationally. Using the modified versions of UNCTAD Geographical Spread Indices we investigate several ground handlers and design a new typology of ground handlers according to their international expansion: key global ground handlers, key interregional international ground, key international intraregional ground handlers and locally important handlers. Adding the dimension of product portfolio we create a twodimensional grid enabling to analyse evolution of ground handling industry to reflect international expansion of key players in different ground handling services. Arguing via the organic growth and consolidation examples, we assume the shift of the industry towards multiproduct ground handling companies with extensive international presence in all world regions.
The paper analyses network strategies of eleven European low cost and hybrid(ized) airlines between 2009 and 2014 focusing on spatial (geographical) attributes. Two-dimensional description of airline network evolution identified three of four possible spatial network strategies which were followed by the airlines-expansion, contraction and condensation; revealing expansion as a prevailing one. Ryanair as an expanding airline increased transnational nature of its network (confirmed by geographical spread indices), however out of the EEA region Ryanair expanded least within the expanding airlines. Against the compared expanding counterparts, the only Ryanair increased exploitation of its network connectivity potential. Ryanair had the lowest levels of network concentration what coincides with an assumption about deconcentrated network typical for pure (ultra) low cost carrier. Our findings support the statement that economies generated by spatial connectivity of airline networks play a crucial role in competition of airlines as their business is in principle spatially determined.
Summary. The traditional and current approach to business models in business aviation is based only on aircraft ownership and does not describe the business aviation segment of civil aviation sufficiently. In this paper, we apply a two-dimensional approach analysing the product of companies competing in the business aviation segment of civil aviation. Our analysis combines two product-related components: fleet attributes and portfolio of services to confirm a diversity of business aviation companies and their business models. Using data of thirty business aviation companies from world regions, we reveal a diversity of business models in business aviation that is contradicting with a traditional approach to business models in business aviation.
Compared with many studies focused on business models and strategies of scheduled airlines, the evident
research gap exists in the field of strategies in business aviation segment. Business models in business aviation segment
are defined entirely according to an ownership status, respectively nature of operation. Complex analysis of
business aviation airlines strategies is absent despite the dynamics of the business aviation segment. In our research
we have focused on identifying different fleet strategies in business aviation segment since the fleet is the basic asset
of an airline. By comparing several fleet aspects of 30 business aviation operators in three world regions we have
proved the existence of different fleet strategies in business aviation segment and therefore the need for further and
more complex research of business models in the particular segment.
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