Management and Operations Commons^™

An Investigation Into The Economic Useful Life Of Commercial Aircraft As Impacted By Maintenance And Economic Variables, Robert Gallagher

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research involved examining the economic useful life of commercial aircraft and the impact of maintenance and economic variables on the viability and longevity of the asset. The data sample consisted of the entire population of Boeing commercial aircraft produced between 1956 and 2021. The objective was to determine the effect of both maintenance and economic variables on the longevity and usefulness of commercial aircraft. As manufacturers work with issues such as service life, economic life, safety, and critical design features, those in the aviation community focus on the operational side of the equation––how long can one operate the asset, …

Noise And Time Pressure Effects On Situation Awareness And Aviation Maintenance Tasks, Syaza R. M. Haris

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) working in a line maintenance work setting are very susceptible to the deafening occupational noise from the airport vicinity or the maintenance machinery itself. Compared to a base maintenance working period, a line maintenance job requires AMTs to complete a task within a short time frame. The current study's objective is to determine if different noise levels and time pressure influence AMTs' performance and situation awareness (SA). Sixteen Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students majoring in Aviation Maintenance Science participated in a within-subject experimental design. Each participant's performance, SA level, and perceived workload were measured during maintenance tasks …

Comparison Of Airline Co-Branded Credit Card Programs Via Frequent Flyer Money Saver Analysis For Full-Service U.S. Carriers, Bora Suavi Unsal

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Although airline alliances work fairly effectively for paid flight segments, passengers who want to redeem frequent flyer miles often encounter difficulties. Sometimes airlines demand an extensive amount of air miles to book requests for award seats to not only their partner airline customers but also their own customers. Furthermore, while the airline co-branded credit card award mile earnings and redemption rates fluctuate significantly between different airlines, passengers are not well informed about which airline co-branded credit card requires the minimum amount of credit card expenditure to fly with an award ticket to their desired travel destination.

A more useful and …

The Effects Of Carry-On Baggage On Aircraft Evacuation Efficiency, Sang-A Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The most frequent obstacle of an aircraft evacuation is the passengers carrying baggage while evacuating. Passengers who insist on taking their carry-on baggage during an emergency evacuation not only slow down the evacuation process but also act as a significant risk to the safety of other passengers. This study investigated the factors that affect passengers’ behavioral intention to evacuate with carry-on baggage and the effects of evacuating with carry-on baggage on the total evacuation time. Overall, two studies were conducted to provide an outline of the factors that affect and affected by carry-on baggage.

Study 1 used an agent-based model, …

Development Of A Safety Performance Decision-Making Tool For Flight Training Organization, Marisa D. Aguiar

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 141 flight training organizations are actively pursuing ways to increase operational safety by introducing advanced risk assessment and decision-making techniques. The purpose of the dissertation was to create and validate a safety performance decision-making tool to transform a reactive safety model into a predictive, safety performance decision-making tool, specific to large, collegiate Title 14 CFR Part 141 flight training organizations, to increase safety and aid in operational decision-making. The validated safety decision-making tool uses what-if scenarios to assess how changes to the controllable input variables impact the overall level of …

Cost Optimization Modeling For Airport Capacity Expansion Problems In Metropolitan Areas, Woo-Jin Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a cost optimization model to identify an optimal solution to expand airport capacity in metropolitan areas in consideration of demand uncertainties. The study first analyzed four airport capacity expansion cases from different regions of the world to identify possible solutions to expand airport capacity and key cost functions which are highly related to airport capacity problems. Using mixedinteger nonlinear programming (MINLP), a deterministic optimization model was developed with the inclusion of six cost functions: capital cost, operation cost, delay cost, noise cost, operation readiness, and airport transfer (ORAT) cost, and passenger access …

An Investigation Of Factors That Influence Passengers’ Intentions To Use Biometric Technologies At Airports, Kabir Olaseni Kasim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Biometric technologies use the characteristics and measurements from humans to establish or verify their identity. Within an airport setting, biometric technologies can be used to hasten passenger processes such as airport check-in, baggage drop-off or pick-up, and aircraft boarding, thus enhancing the overall passenger experience.

This research investigated the factors that influence passengers’ intentions to choose the use of biometrics over other methods of identification. The current study utilized a quantitative research method via an online survey of 689 persons from Amazon ® Mechanical Turk ® (MTurk) and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques for data analysis. The study utilized …

Pilot’S Willingness To Operate In Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Airspace, Lakshmi Vempati

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The interest in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) use for private, civil, and commercial purposes such as package delivery, inspection, surveillance, and passenger and cargo transport has gained considerable momentum. As UAS infiltrate the National Airspace System (NAS), there is a need to not only develop viable, safe, and secure solutions for the co-existence of manned and unmanned aircraft, but also determine public acceptance and pilot’s willingness to operate an aircraft in such an integrated environment. Currently there is little or no research on pilot’s perceptions on their willingness to operate an aircraft in UAS integrated airspace and airports.

The purpose …

Evaluating Scenarios That Can Startle And Surprise Pilots, Rahim Daud Agha

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Startle and surprise on the flight deck is a contributing factor in multiple aviation accidents that have been recognized by multiple aviation safety boards. This study identified the effects startle and surprise had on commercial pilots with single and multiengine ratings. Surprise is defined here as something unexpected (e.g., engine failure), while startle is the associated exaggerated effect of an unexpected condition (e.g., thunder sound). Forty pilots were tested in a basic aviation training device configured to a Cessna 172 (single-engine) and a Baron 58 (multi-engine). Each pilot flew the single- and multiengine aircraft in a scenario that induced an …

Assessing If Motivation Impacts General Aviation Pilots’ Persistence In Varying Weather Conditions, Sabrina Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Continued flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions is the predominant cause for fatal accidents by percentage, for general aviation aircraft operations. It is possible that a pilot’s motivation or reason for flying will override other safer, more logical courses of action when a hazard presents itself. The decision appears to stem from a willingness to persist in a course of action despite factors that indicate an alternate and safer course is warranted. This research addresses what is currently presumed about the decision to continue flying under visual flight rules into instrument conditions and marries those ideas with …

Effects Of Musical Ability On Flight Planning, Situational Awareness, And Flight Path Deviations, Andrew P. Henry

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Numerous studies have been conducted on music education and the benefits that learning an instrument has on the brain. However, there is little research that connects a pilot’s ability to play an instrument to a pilot’s ability to fly an airplane. When learning an instrument, students learn non-musical abilities, such as executive functions, which may correspond with the skills necessary to be a good pilot. The purpose of this study was to find a relationship between learning a musical instrument and pilot performance, specifically related to flight planning, situational awareness, and flight path deviations. This study was a quasi-experimental design …

Benefits Of Additional Runway Crossings On Parallel Runway Operations, Sergio Ezequiel Taleisnik

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As the air transportation industry expands, airports face numerous challenges to manage the increasing traffic. Among these problems, runway crossings are a considerable source of ground traffic inefficiency and risk. Building end-around taxiways are the only strategy to avoid crossings, but these are not always feasible, and therefore airport planners must find alternatives. This study consisted of a simulation over an airport that currently requires a vast amount of its arrivals to go through runway crossings in order to reach the apron; the airport simulation software utilized was the Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM). The process began with a …

Evaluation Of Airline Efficiency And Environmental Impacts Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Arun Paul Saini

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Airline efficiency has been a focus of research since the birth of the airline industry. Data envelopment analysis has become a highly accepted methodology for performing efficiency analysis and assessing relative differences between comparable business entities; over the last decade, airline efficiency research has proliferated into this linear programming domain. While early airline efficiency research focused primarily on revenue generation and profitability, growing commercial social responsibility is driving greater investment into understanding and improving the environmental impact of airline operations. This study is intended to partially fill a gap in exigent literature. While limited data envelopment analysis including environmental impacts …

General Aviation Pilot Acceptance And Adoption Of Electronic Flight Bag Technology, Troy Ernest Techau

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research used an adapted version of the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to examine electronic flight bag (EFB) acceptance and adoption for general aviation (GA) pilots. EFBs are a common tool in almost all types of aviation and feature many useful capabilities such as the ability to display traffic, weather, and aviation charts. Despite their potential benefits, while some pilots choose to use EFBs in their flight operations, others continue to rely on traditional paper charts and reference materials. Determination of which factors explain differences in pilot acceptance and adoption of EFBs could influence …

Profitability And Financial Performance Indicators In U.S. Airports - A Preliminary Investigation, Abbas Shaban

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Airport profitability is fundamental for all airports around the world. To this effect, this study examines factors affecting airport profitability such as the number of passengers, the number of landings and take-offs, cargo (lbs), airport debt, the size of the airport, and the terminal utilization. Most of the large and medium hub airports in the U.S are considered in this study, and regression analysis is used to analyze the data.

The results of this study show that factors examined are statistically significant when measuring airport profitability, which in turns could suggest that airports with high values in most of these …

Airport Passenger Processing Technology: A Biometric Airport Journey, Vishra Patel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A passengers’ traveling journey throughout the airport is anything but simple. A passenger goes through numerous hoops and hurdles before safely boarding the aircraft. Many airports today are implementing isolated solutions for passenger processing. Some of these technologies include automated self-service kiosks and bag tag, self-service bag drop-off, along with automated self-service gates for boarding and border control. These solutions can be integrated with biometric systems to enhance passenger handling. This thesis analyzes the current passenger processing technology implemented at airports around the world and their associated challenges that passengers face. A new passenger processing technology called a biometric single …

Effect Of Active Learning On Instrument Rated Pilots’ Knowledge And Self-Efficacy, Robert Leroy Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The study examined the effect of active scenario-based training on the knowledge and self-efficacy of instrument rated pilots who were not instrument current. Additionally, this study addressed an issue that was not present in the existing literature by validating the potential of using at-home personal computer scenario-based simulation for instrument currency. The current method of maintaining instrument currency does not require any context or scenario-based training. At a minimum, a pilot must perform a specific number of instrument approaches and holds in an airplane, approved simulator, or training device.

Sixty-two non-current instrument rated pilots who represented the U.S. general aviation …

Investigation Of Passengers’ Intentions To Use High-Speed Rail And Low-Cost Carriers In China, Jing Yu Pan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

With a large population, China is an ideal market for high-speed rail (HSR) and low-cost carrier (LCC) services. While HSR has gained substantial market share in China over the past decade, LCCs have achieved only limited market penetration. The potential growth of LCCs in China, however, is promising given the growing travel demand and government policy support. As LCCs expand their service in the domestic market, they are likely to become a strong competitor of HSR. The potential competition between LCCs and HSR justifies the research of passengers’ behavioral intentions to use HSR and LCCs in China.

This research focused …

The Extent Of Distraction Of Cell Phone Conversations For Passengers In Simulated Flight, Tianhua Li

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Currently, passengers are forbidden from making cell phone calls during flights in the United States due to cellular electronic interference. However, some related research has demonstrated that the use of cell phones has little interference with avionics. Furthermore, any potential electronic interference can be eliminated by using new technology. Although talking on the cell phone does not cause electronic interference, the distraction of a passenger caused by a cell phone may negatively impact safety. The cell phone calls have been found to affect people’s attention and performance. In-flight announcements are popular methods to inform commercial airliner passengers of their situation …

Predicting The Market Share Of A New Airport In Multi-Airport Cities: The Case Of Lagos, Samson Oladele Fatokun

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The primary objective of the study was to develop an empirical model that combines the contingent valuation method (CVM) with the isochrone analysis to predict the market shares of new airports in multi-airport cities and to apply the model to the case of Lekki International Airport (LIA), the proposed second airport in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to predicting the market share that LIA could attain, the study also identified and analyzed the catchment areas as well as the willingness to pay (WTP) of would-be LIA passengers. Furthermore, the research identified the determinants of airport choice in the Nigerian market. The …

Behavioral Traps In Flight Crew-Related 14 Cfr Part 121 Airline Accidents, Jonathan Velázquez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation examined pilot behavioral traps in the multi-crew Part 121 air carrier environment. Behavioral traps are accident-inducing operational pitfalls aviators may encounter as a result of poor decision making. The traps studied were: Loss of Situational Awareness; Neglect of Flight Planning, Preflight Inspections and Checklists; Peer Pressure; Get-There-Itis; and Unauthorized Descent Below an Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) Altitude. The purpose of this dissertation was to study the nature of their occurrence in the airline domain. Another key component was to explore the relationships between the behavioral traps and factors such as pilot age, pilot flight experience, weather, flight conditions, …

Determination Of Factors That Influence Passengers’ Airline Selection: A Study Of Low Cost Carriers In Thailand, Thapanat Buaphiban

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research examined the factors that influenced the airline selection of Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) in Thailand. The research was justified based on the rapid growth of LCC travel in Thailand, particularly in domestic and regional travel. There is a relative lack of successful explanation of the choice of LCCs in Thailand, with only a few studies addressing topics like passenger satisfaction and perceptions of service quality. Following an extensive literature review, the author used a theoretical framework based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) in order to explain passenger behavioral intentions. This framework was supplemented by …

Effect Of Air Carrier Restructuring Strategies On Post-Bankruptcy Performance, Harold Dale Townsend

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Air carrier bankruptcy is a common occurrence in the aviation industry. However, there is a paucity of research on the topic of air carrier restructuring during the post-bankruptcy period. General restructuring literature has identified four types of actions: operational, financial, managerial, and portfolio. The purpose of this study was to partially fill the large literature gap in the area of air carrier post-bankruptcy performance through theoretical and practical contributions.

A multilevel exploratory factor analysis was conducted to explore whether the same restructuring areas were found in air carrier specific metrics. All four restructuring areas were found in the factor analysis. …

The Effects Of Aircraft Certification Rules On General Aviation Accidents, Carolina Lenz Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency of general aviation airplane accidents and accident rates on the basis of aircraft certification to determine whether or not differences in aircraft certification rules had an influence on accidents. In addition, the narrative cause descriptions contained within the accident reports were analyzed to determine whether there were differences in the qualitative data for the different certification categories. The certification categories examined were: Federal Aviation

Regulations Part 23, Civil Air Regulations 3, Light Sport Aircraft, and Experimental-Amateur Built. The accident causes examined were those classified as: Loss of Control, Controlled Flight …

Analysis Of Fatal General Aviation Accidents Occurring From Loss Of Control On Approach And Landing, Brittnee Nicholle Branham

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), loss of control in-flight is the greatest cause of general aviation accidents. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequently occurring probable causes and contributing factors from loss of control in-flight. This study used the Pareto principle and methodology developed by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee to analyze accidents retrieved from the NTSB's Aviation Accident Database. The results showed that 73% of the accidents contained the contributing factor of "PILOT - Failure to maintain airspeed" across the three categories of reciprocating engine aircraft, turbine engine aircraft, and experimental-amateur …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Public Comments Submitted In Response To Notice Of Proposed Rules On Air Carrier Pilot Qualification, Amy Chaffee Doolittle

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In 2009, the crash of Colgan Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY raised concerns regarding the adequacy of current pilot qualification standards for entering air carrier operations. In response, the U.S. Congress enacted Public Law 111-216, which requires a pilot to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate in order to be qualified as a flight crewmember under 14 CFR, part 121, and also allows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modify the requirements to obtain an ATP certificate. In February 2012, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) outlining these requirements and calling for public comments on the …

E-Learning In Multi-Cultural Environments: An Analysis Of Online Cabin Crew Training, Jose Felix De Brito Neto

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Throughout the first decade of this century, the airline industry struggled with many challenges stemming from unstable oil prices and natural disasters. Attention was given to people as tools for competitive advantage. The airline industry focused on Human Resource Management and, as a result, e-learning gained increasing attention as it imparted knowledge on an asynchronous and global basis with substantially reduced costs. However, while focusing on learning technologies, organizations failed to acknowledge learners needs and cultural backgrounds by creating neutral e-learning environments, which resulted in ineffective training and reduced performance improvement. This thesis aimed to study the perceptions of a …

Background Factors That Affect Pilot Success In Regional Airline Training, Derek Alan Herchko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Following the Colgan Air accident in February 2009, the U.S. Congress and the traveling public called for increased flight experience requirements for pilots of regional airlines. In response, Congress enacted the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2010 . This legislation required that regional airline pilots, inclusive of first officers, have an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and a minimum of 1,500 total flight hours. This legislation had a provision that allowed the Federal Aviation Administration to create credit toward flight hours for pilots who had specific academic training courses above normal pilot certification. The Pilot Source Study was …

A Comparison Of Fuel Efficiencies Between Dc-9-30 And B-737ng Aircraft For Delta Airlines At Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, Brandon Scott Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Improved fuel efficiency is one of aviation's top priorities, as it impacts the economy and the National Airspace System's environment. This descriptive study used data generated by the Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) to show that the Boeing 737 Next Generation series aircraft would be more fuel-efficient than the McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-30 aircraft on various routes used by Delta Airlines out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Databases, such as Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (ASDI) and Base of Aircraft Data (BADA), were used to simulate the baseline flight route information. Simulations were performed on Boeing 737NG (-700, -800, -900) and …

Analysis Of Effects Of Financial Factors On Profitability Of Low-Cost And Legacy Carriers, Nicholas Joseph Kleoppel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Since airline deregulation in 1978, there have been over 180 bankruptcy filings by airlines. Legacy and Low-Cost carriers are unique in how they operate and how they generate revenue; both business models have advantages and disadvantages. However, the Low-Cost carriers have shown increases in revenue and have been growing at increasing rates over the Legacy carriers. This study analyzed financial factors from four airlines in each business model to reveal which financial factors can help determine profitability of an airline. This researcher found significant differences between Legacy and Low-Cost Passenger Revenues, Maintenance Expenses, and Depreciation and Amortization Expenses. Additionally, there …