Passengers aboard flights throughout the United Kingdom and the world perhaps overlook the many professionals involved in their safe travels. While pilots, customer service representatives, and flight attendants are the most visible faces in the airline industry, aircraft technicians are vital to the successful and efficient flight of airplanes around the world. Aircraft technicians are tasked with the inspection, repair, and servicing of airplane frames, engines, and landing gear. These technicians are often versatile, working on a variety of different airplanes and helicopters throughout their career.
The average day for an aircraft technician involves checking airplanes and helicopters for flight readiness. Depending on the specialization of a particular technician, a general flight check can include a review of the engines, airframe, navigation systems, radios, and radars. One of the most important aspects of an aircraft technician’s job is certifying that every plane and helicopter that they inspect is ready for flight. These certifications are no small matter, as they show the flight readiness of commercial airlines holding hundreds of thousands of fliers every year.
Aerospace companies, the British government, and airlines look for a certain set of skills out of their aircraft technicians. Because of the power that these technicians hold in determining the flight readiness of commercial airliners, a high sense of integrity and confidentiality is important. As well, aircraft technicians need to be able to concentrate and exhibit a strong sense of logic when it comes to determining the flight capabilities of certain vehicles. Technicians also need to be savvy when it come to technology, since they have to inspect a wide range of technologies.
There are a number of ways for professionals to break into the aerospace industry as aircraft technicians. One of the most popular ways for technicians to enter the industry is by signing up for a term of service with the Royal Air Force. The RAF not only allows practical experience for young professionals interested in being an aircraft technician but helps technicians become certified for work as commercial airline technicians. As well, apprenticeships and part-time work through recruiting agencies can also help develop a long term connection with an aerospace company.
Aircraft technicians typically work between 40 and 45 hours per week, dependent on time of year and the length of repair projects. Technicians typically perform their job duties out on the runway, which means enduring bad weather and a variety of inclement conditions. However, specialists in navigation systems and other electronic systems perform most of their work in hangars.
About the Author
Tony Beaumont is the Managing Director of wynnwith aerospace, the leader provider of engineering employment.
Blenheim Bomber and the Battle of Britain.?
Does anyone know anything about this aircraft and other RAF airplanes that were used in that infamous battle other than the ubiquitous Spitfires and Hurricanes? I am led to believe it was something of an aged and obsolete aircraft.
Yeah I know a hell of a lot. I walked round under restoration to flight status 3 weeks ago.
Contact me thru YA! and let me know what details you need.
A Cruise Ship Review Of The New 2006 Cruise Line Offerings For Your Cruise Vacation
If you are a veteran cruiser or just curious about cruising, the year 2006 will be introducing many new cruise ships for you to consider when planning a cruise vacation. Call your travel agent and ask about the cruise lines and their new cruise ships and then book a cruise vacation. Here is a cruise review of the new cruise line additions.
Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America's Vista-class series.
However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line's "Signature of Excellence program."
The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.
They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.
NCL America's Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.
For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.
It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America's "Freestyle Cruising" concept being offered for your cruise vacation.
The Pride of Hawaii's interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.
This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.
In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.
The Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.
This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard's Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.
The Freedom of the Seas has an added feature that other cruise ships do not. It actually has a place to surf on the top cruise deck. This is a new and unique amenity for RCCL's Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Other cruise lines have virtual golf or movies under the stars but no one has a surf park. The cruise line has built the largest rock climbing wall ever.
Following its launching, the Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-day cruise vacations to the Caribbean from Miami.
The Crown Princess, Princess Cruises christened in June. The Crown Princess is expected to accommodate 3,110 cruise travel passengers with 1200 crew.
Princess Cruises lines redesigned the Skywalker's Disco, which gained popularity from cruise passengers on their cruise vacations. They also have the Lotus Spa which has been expanded on the Crown Princess.
New pastries and snacks will adorn the International Cafe. Crown Princess will have the first ever wine and seafood bar of the entire cruise line.
Expansions were made to other popular features like the Wheelhouse Bar, Sabatini's Trattoria, and the Sterling Steakhouse.
Crown Princess cruise vacations will sail roundtrip from the Red Hook terminal in New York. This cruise vacation will make stops in the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.
MSC will launched their new cruise ship MSC Musica on July 01. Musica is an Italian ship that will bring MSC into the ranks of big cruise ships. It is expected to accommodate 2,550 passengers.
One of its outstanding features will be that a full 80% of its 1,275 staterooms will be outside rooms. In addition, 65% of these staterooms will have verandas.
It will also feature a large spa area. The Musica's cruise passengers will also have several dining options. They will enjoy a three deck high waterfall and many different entertainment venues.
Musica will sail the eastern Mediterranean from Venice.
The Costa Cruises' new ship the Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corporation based in Miami, while Costa cruise lines is based in Italy.
This will be the largest cruise ship to join the Costa Cruises' fleet. It will be launched late this year on July 14. It is expected to accommodate 3,000 passengers.
The Costa Concordia will have an European theme for its interior decor. All the room's names will be European inspired. They will have the Grand Bar Berlin, Cafeteria Helsinki, and the Milan and Rome dining rooms.
A unique amenity to the Costa Concordia is a Formula 1 driving simulator for cruise passengers to enjoy on their cruise vacation.
This new cruise ship will sail year round in the Western Mediterranean. For those taking their cruise vacation on this ship, they will make ports of call in Spain, France, Italy, Gibraltar, and Malta.
So much to choose from! Check out other cruise reviews of these new cruise ships to find out on which cruise ship you will spend your 2006 cruise vacation.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
and http://www.CruisingTips.com
About the Author
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com
Which choice 1, 2, or 3 describes """Walking like Sheep to the Slaughter""" best?
1 - The Holocaust Jews who Had no Army, Air Force or Navy to protect them from the Nazi's
and walked into the Gas Chambers.
2 - The Jews of Medinat Yisroel in August 2005.
Who had an Army (I.D.F.), Air Force (I.A.F.) and Navy (חיל הים ) to protect them from world pressure.
But they still gave away Gush Katif to Anti Jewish Terrorists. Knowing (the Israeli secret service warned them) these Palestinian Terorists were going to use Gush Katif to shoot Kassam Rockets in to Green Line Israel (Sderot, Ashkelon, Western Negev & Beer Sheva).
3 - Both
Choice # 2
BTW wasn't it the leftists who said the Torah Observant Jews walked like sheep to the Slaughter in the Holocaust.
And now these same leftists children are really walking like sheep to the Slaughter (as choice #2 explains it).
If you are serious about flight simulation, you may be interested in virtual airlines. What is a virtual airline - well in this article we will explain what they are all about and the reasons why you would want to join them. United, Delta, American - you probably did not know that these well known real world airlines also have virtual airlines running that you can join. Read on to find out more about how they work.
Virtual airlines are a way for flight sim fans to organise and form a virtual organisation. The organisation is running an airline and all of the members of the airlines are assigned different jobs. The jobs include many of the jobs that are needed to run a real world airline. You could hold positions such as hub manager or dispatcher on the ground managing the airlines scheduled flights. You could also apply for a position as a pilot to fly the defined routes that the airline has decided on. The airlines are one of two types. The first type is modelled on actual airlines that are flying today such as American, Delta and United. They will have the same number and type of aircraft and fly the same routes. The second type is a totally virtual airline that has been created and designed by the members.
The airlines are taken seriously, and you do need to apply for the positions and the applications will be considered on their merits, including looking at your flying experience. Once you have flown for the airline and increased your experience, you may be eligible for a promotion to a more senior role.
Virtual airlines work with all of the major flight simulation software packages. The airline is run from an internet site, but the actual airline flights are flown using one of the popular flight simulators such as Microsoft flight simulator, FlightGear or X-Plane among others.
If so . . .have you ever listened to the xm radio stations they give. . .i want to know where i can find the contemporary jazz music. . .i know its called watercolors but want to know if i can find the exact artists that play on that station... ANy body know?
This is what I found.
"Watercolors: Silver
An album available exclusively at Circuit City
The Watercolors CD series from XM and the Concord Music Group continues with a very special Christmas collection, Watercolors: Silver. Glorious and resplendent, Watercolor: Silver is the perfect holiday soundtrack for those that like their Yule tastefully cool. Make merry to 12 jazzy holiday classics featuring Boney James, David Benoit, Vince Guaraldi, Toni Braxton, and more.
Buy the CD here »
Watercolors: Red
An album available exclusively at Circuit City
XM Satellite Radio and Concord Music Group present Watercolors: RED. The second in a series of colorful contemporary jazz CD collections created to reflect the many moods of XM71. Watercolors: RED smolders with tropical heat and is as refreshing as a pitcher of sangria. You'll hear red hot tunes from David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Sergio Mendes and more.
Buy the CD here »
Watercolors Blue
An album available exclusively at Circuit City
XM Satellite Radio and Concord Music Group present Watercolors, a series of vivid contemporary jazz CD collections that are the essence of pure musical sophistication. Creating a harmonious landscape that is soulful and chic, chilled yet grooving, Watercolors: Blue paints a broad spectrum of blue hues, from cerulean cool to deep indigo. Wrap yourself in the luxurious sonic backdrop of Watercolors.
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=71
pilot playing harmonica in london boarding gate united airlines
How to Transform a First House or Apartment Into a Home With Hunter Douglas Blinds
New Window Fashions from Hunter Douglas Help
Whether it is a starter house in the suburbs or a loft in the city, making a first house or apartment feel like home is a daunting challenge to young people at the start of their careers. Furniture from Mom and Dad’s attic or from stores making high-style sofas available at affordable prices can help, but what about those big, naked windows that are in dire need of blinds and window treatments? And chances are that the windows will be big. According to statistics in the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) “Housing Facts, Figures and Trends” report published in March 2006, new houses in America continue to get larger and so do windows. NAHB states, “Fully 73 percent and 77 percent of echo boomers and Gen-Xers, respectively, say that they want nine-foot or higher ceilings.” These soaring rooms often incorporate enormous windows. People want bigger windows to maximize their views and fill their rooms with natural light. This trend holds for apartments as well as houses, where realtors report that loft-style apartments and new glass towers are gaining preference over traditional apartments.
Privacy and light control are two important factors in turning a house into a home. The right window treatment will provide both – plus mood and style enhancement. Hunter Douglas, the nation’s leading manufacturer of custom window coverings, has new introductions to fashionably dress those big new windows and make even an almost empty first house feel like home.
New Park Lane Privacy Sheers offer affordable luxury with the best features of sheers, draperies and vertical blinds in one streamlined product. With this window blind even decorating virgins can’t go wrong. Park Lane Privacy Sheers redefine the tradition of Privacy Sheers by offering a relaxed, casual alternative at a lower price point. The sheer fabric softens and diffuses light while fabric vanes rotate for light control and privacy. The textured sheer fabric is offered in six neutral colors that complement virtually any décor, with translucent or room-darkening neutral white vanes for a uniform appearance from outside. An optional decorative valence available in three painted finishes – Extreme White, Porcelain and Winter White – conceals the headrail and top of the sheer blind. With dimensions up to almost 16-feet wide and 10-feet high, Park Lane Sheers bring soft illumination, expansive views and dynamic performance to large window expanses.
Aluminum blinds, first introduced by Hunter Douglas in 1946, will never look the same again! It’s easy to add sparkle to a home with Modern Precious Metals aluminum blinds and now its new, patent-pending product – Reveal with MagnaView – revolutionizes the look of metal blinds. Tilted closed, they look like standard blinds. Tilted opened, however, the slats nest together to create double the view-through compared with standard blinds. For example, the 1” slat size opens to a view-through comparable to a 2” slat product. The 2” slat size opens to a view-through comparable to a 4” slat product. With such new on-trend color additions as as Venetian Bronze, Brushed Nickel, Turquoise Sky and Vintage Gold, Modern Precious Metals are available in dozens of colorful choices as well as fresh-looking neutrals.
For new homeowners who would like to have the classic look of wood blinds at an economical price, Hunter Douglas has expanded its offering of Chalet Woods wood blinds earlier this year, including four new trend-setting distressed finishes available in the collection’s most popular stained colors: Straw, Hickory, Walnut and Black Cherry. Along with the new distressed options and the addition of two new paint colors – Bavarian Cream and Beechnut – Chalet Woods blinds now boast 24 finishes in both 2” and 2 ½” slat sizes. Additional introductions include 20 total decorative tape options and two attractive valance styles for a complete fashion selection. The light-blocking de-Light feature and the LiteRise cordless operating system are also offered on the Chalet Woods blinds collections.
Brilliance pleated shades are an affordable way to add dramatic design touches to any room and are offered in enough choices to truly personalize a new first home. Color, texture and limitless options set them apart from all other pleated shades in the industry. The recently expanded collection encompasses 160 SKUs and 18 styles, with seven exciting textured fabrics ranging from sheer to opaque. These fabrics add depth and visual appeal to any décor, and three of the new offerings are softer fabrics with a “pleat-on-pleat” design. The softer fabrics are backed with a neutral white non-woven fabric and come with the innovative Precise Pleat lifting system for crisp, clean, uniform pleats.
Among the new fabric offerings are Woodlands, which adds a three-dimensional look, and Potter’s Wheel, which uses slub and cross-dyed yarns to add depth. The collection also includes 43 updated colors in neutrals, pastels and earth tones that follow the latest color trends. Brilliance shades offer a new SoftGlide single continuous cord loop operating system that makes it easy to raise and lower even the largest shades and is ideal for homes with children and pets. Speaking of which, next to new window fashions, a pet is a great way to make that first house or apartment feel like home.
Who's coming over to the Isle of Man this year to celebrate the TT centenary??
I want to know just out of interest! By the way, buy the new IOM creameries vintage cheddar in the black TT centenary packet. My church (Marown church - main road douglas-peel) are doing catering. Hot and cold foods will be availiable in practice week and TT week.
I wish I was! I really didn't want to miss this but I will be doing. I just haven't the money and there is no way I would find somewhere to stay unless I booked a year ago. It's hard enough when it's a normal year and having two kids that hate camping kinda spoils half the fun!
Emirates Airline is one of the most reputable Airline companies in the Asian continent and also in the world over. The Company has been in the business for the past twenty three years. Emirates Airline is owned by Dubai's government; where Dubai is one of the seven cities found within the United Arab Emirates. Thus company flies to ninety destinations found throughout the world and manages to reach about sixty different countries in the world. Dubai is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle Eastern region. (Butler & Keller, 2000)
External changes that have affected Emirates Airline between 1997 & 2007
The external changes will be examined through PESTLE analysis.
Political
Emirates Airline has been very fortunate during the 2000s and beyond. The political scene in the region has been quite favourable because most of the countries in the Asian Pacific have been making agreements that facilitate better trade between countries especially in relation to the aviation sector. These countries have signed agreements between themselves and also with other countries in the United States and also in the European continent. These agreements have opened up Emirates to the world and have provided ready made markets for the Airline Company.
Any aviation company must be ready to tackle high fuel costs and Emirates is no exception,. In the year 2005, the country reported an increase in fuel expenditure of seven percent from the previous year. Fuel costs represent the highest form of expenditure in the company as this has really eaten into their profits.
Economic
The Asian Pacific region and in particular the United Arab Emirates, has been nurturing its economy at a rapid pace. Most of the countries located there are becoming more mature. These economies are growing at a substantial rate consequently affecting their overall income. This means that most of them are earning more revenue per capita and they can therefore afford to use air transport. This is probably the reason why Emirates Airline has been steadily growing over the past few years. Markets are changing rapidly and more governments in the region are streamlining their economic policies so as to suite the Airline industry. (Tayeh, 2006)
Airline traffic in the rest of the world has reduced drastically. However, the Middle Eastern region has improved especially for Emirates. Emirates success is directly linked to the City's success-Dubai. Dubai is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world. It represents a lot of potential for investment both in the tourism industry and also in the business world. First of all, there are so many projects that re coming up with time. First of all, the City is building a theme park that resembles Disney world; it has embarked on a project that will house over four hundred thousand residents through a waterfront project. As if this is not enough, there are plenty of businesses that are always coming up all the time. Real estate is one particularly interesting sector because it attracts lots of capital investment. All these business ventures are encouraging more visitors to the City and the country in general; this has been reflected in the overwhelming market for Emirates.
As if this is not enough Emirates Airline is located at a very suitable region in Asia, it is in the middle of the Eastern and Western regions. Consequently, the Airline is capable of tapping resources from both sides. The Asian continent has a booming economy and Emirates Airline has really benefited from this.
Social
Emirates Airlines operates in a region where there are numerous employees and workers. Most of these workers rarely demand for high compensation. When the United Arab Emirates is compared to other countries such as the United States, it can be found that there is a significant difference in labour costs as the latter country uses up thirty eight percent of its operating expenses while the UAE only uses up eight percent of its operating costs to pay its workers. Consequently, the Airline has made a lot of profits due to those differences. (Morrison and Winston, 1997)
Labour issues are adversely affecting employers in the region and also in the rest of the world. Workers are becoming increasingly ware of their potential and most of them are demanding more. Many Airline Companies are increasingly recruiting different types of labourers. This is especially with regard to the fact that there are numerous types of Aircrafts in any one type of Airline. For instance, an Airline Company may have regional jets, four engine planes, wide body and narrow body aircrafts. Such kinds of aircrafts are operated by different types of pilots and engineers. These workers all belong to different worker's unions and all of them may require special attention by the human resource department. Payment schedules may also be difficult to maintain if some of these workers operate in stable economies. Emirates Airlines has also been affected by this problem but not to a large extent. Emirates Airlines has not bought too many varieties of Aircrafts. Consequently, there is room for the Company to grow and without having to spend too much in the labour section.
Technological
The world had a technology boom in the nineties. However, there was a technology but in the decade 2000. Companies that were using technology to gain competitive advantage over their players in the industry may now have to look for other sources of competitive advantage.
Additionally, Airline companies have to deal with the advent of better informed clients. Most people are now more knowledgeable about the reputable companies. They can get all the strengths and weaknesses about a given firm using the internet. For instance, clients tend to shy away from airlines with numerous stopovers in comparison to those ones that have direct routes. These are al issues that can be checked out at the ‘touch of a button'. Emirates Airlines has been affected by this issue because it needs to ascertain that it offers better services to its clients and that it can meet future demand. (Tayeh, 2006)
Legal
It should be noted that in the past, most governments within the Asian Pacific used to operate under a paternal government policy. Governments felt that thy had to protect airlines against external factors, but after the recent policy changes, Airline industries have now been opened up to competition and this is the reason why air carriers like Emirates have grown. They can now follow the rules of economics to sustain competitive advantage instead of worrying about government hindrances. This means that there are less legal hitches when running operation in the region.
Environmental
It is a known fact that Airline Companies need to adopt strategies that provide them with a good corporate image. For instance, some Airlines may decide to take part in environmental sustainability projects such as tree planting. Additionally, some companies may also exercise extra caution in terms of the quantity of waste that they send to the landfill. This is something that seems to be taking a lot of attention from Airline companies. Lastly, the issue of recycling is also taking up a lot of precedence in the Airline industry. Some Companies are offering recyclable cutlery to their clients in order to further this campaign. All in all, it should be noted that most environmental campaigns in the Airline industry are part of the corporate responsibility strategy within a specific Airline Company. (Directory, 2007)
Critical evaluation of the strategies used by the Airline between 2002 & 2007
Strength
The company has adopted a very unique business model. It thrives upon flexibility and espousal to existing external environments. The company's management is quite creative and is always looking for ways of coping with their current situation. This is the reason why the Airline has been able to tackle some of the global economic problems that have attacked the aviation industry.
The Company has won a number of awards between the years 2003 and 2007 from the World Airline Entertainment Association. The Company was given the World Airline Entertainment Association Award for the third year running. Emirates Company has been quite effective at including technology in its customer care. The Company had an in-flight entertainment system during the world up in 2005. it was able to give al its passengers access to the matches. Those who may not have been interested in watching the entire match were give updates through their top-of the-range-screen systems. In addition to this, the company has gained a wide esteem for the inclusion of email services for all its passengers. It also allows live text news for customers in their aircrafts. The Company was also the first to introduce a Digital Widescreen System in 2005. This was something that ha not been included in other Airline Companies of the world. (Morrison and Winston, 1997)
Weakness
Emirates Airlines is quite reputable in the Asian Pacific Continent. The company has marketed itself very well in the region and as it can be seen form the able below, it is one of the most successful companies in the region.
Airline Market Share
Emirates 39%
Air India 2%
Gulf Air 8%
Qatar Airways 13%
Sri Lankan Airlines 4%
Singapore Airlines 26%
Thai Airways 8%
However, when the company's market share is analysed in other regions of the world, such positive and encouraging results may not be seen. Some regions such Australia have not embraced the services and benefits that come with using an Emirates Airline Aircraft. Emirates Company therefore needs to improve its performance in the global market. Most successful companies are those ones that adopt a global dimension and decide to spread their success to other regions of the world. Over - reliance on one region can bring about economic down fall in case the region is faced with a natural or man made disaster and the Airline may not have other areas to turn to. (Directory, 2007)
Additionally, Emirates is rather conservative about the issue of Labour Unions. This could be the reason why the company has shied away from diversifying its Airline operations. The Company seems to fear high labour costs and this is coming in the way of its improvements. The Company needs to disregard some of the labour cost that come with expansion because these costs will simply be offset by the higher rate of returns that will be achieved by the company after the passage of time.
Opportunities
Carriers within the Middle Eastern region are growing rapidly. The Asian Pacific region has an association for its airline companies. During the year 2006, the association registered an overall increase in passenger traffic of about twenty three percent. It was also found that in the year 2004, the overall traffic in the region grew by a whooping twenty four percent. The figures were deduced by the differences between passenger kilometres and seat kilometres that were available.
China (which is one of the most thriving economies in the region) provides the highest potential for growth and profits. The Asian Pacific Region found that traffic to and from this country had reached a whooping fifty one percent. Such positive figures indicate that there is a huge airline market in China and that the Emirates Airline needs to expand some of its operations to this country. It is also crucial from this company to understand that it can boost its performance in that country by making their services even better or by marketing themselves aggressively within China. (Tayeh, 2006)
Threats
Overall air transport within the Asian Pacific region has improved. While this can be seen as an opportunity for attracting more clients to the region, it can also be seen as a threat. The positive growth means that more and more Airlines are improving their positions within the industry. It is very likely that Emirates will be facing stiff competition within the market. It is a known fact that beyond the 2000s, Emirates has been dominating market shares in the Middle and Far East. However, this position may soon be toppled if the company relaxes.
Additionally, Emirates Airline has to deal with an increase number of competitors in Dubai and its environs. This is because they have realised how profitable the route. Such competition could potentially lead to diminished business. However, this has not been the case for the company. Emirates have adopted a competitive strategy. The company believes that it is quite possible to still soar above the rest even when there are other players in the market. Emirates encourage more competition because this means that overall standards in the industry will increase and there will be greater acknowledgment of good performers within the industry.
Impact of stakeholder pressure on strategies
Most airline companies are particularly fond of mergers and acquisitions. It is indeed a global trend, for companies to form alliances. However, Emirates shareholders and management believe that alliances are not an appropriate strategy to adopt for the company. They have asserted that Emirates needs to establish some sort of trend in this area. The Company needs to remain independent and mergers will com in the way of such a strategy. More so, Emirates' main business principle is flexibility. They believe that they should always have the ability to change their approaches depending on the external and internal circumstances. Consequently, making an alliance would come in the way of such a strategy. One can therefore conclude that shareholders have greatly affected the way the business conducts itself in the global arena. (Doganis, 2001)
Emirates decided to adopt a strategy of free competition because of mounting pressure from key persons within the company. These key persons asserted that following the trends used by other companies in the airline industry would make Emirates seem like a company that is simply trying to survive the increasing competition within the field. It would make them look like a company that has its own survival at heart and not the needs of the customers. The Company is built upon the premise that the customer comes first. This is the driving force behind the company strategy. Additionally, the reason behind the company's financial success is the fact that the company is not linked to other business interests. Consequently, stakeholder pressure has affected the company positively because it has yielded encouraging results.
The government of the United Arab Emirates is a key stakeholder in the operations of the Company because they are part owners of the Company. They have created a lot of pressure in the manner in which the airline conducts its operations. It has created a liberal market in the Far East in order to enable the Airline operate in liberal markets. This is especially in contrast to some of the strategies that other stakeholders in the Middle Eastern region have adopted. Airline companies in such areas have no idea what it means to compete in the aviation sector. (George, 1982)
Coping and encouraging competitiveness is a key element in the Company's strategy (this is called the Open Skies strategy) and this can be highlighted in the way the company conducts its businesses. For example, Emirates shares its Dubai airports with one hundred other Airlines. This would have been ordinary if the foreign companies were operating in regions outside the Asian Pacific region. However, it has been found that they actually target one hundred and fifty destinations in the region. Additionally, surveys conducted in Emirates' main hub found that fifty percent of their passengers belonged to other Airlines. This is in huge contrast to what goes on in other regions of the world. For instance, in the United Kingdom, it may be possible to find that one Airport is filled up with passengers who belong to one airport. This means that Emirates is acting as a leader in this arena if it has managed to achieve what some seemingly ‘sophisticated markets' have not achieved in the market today.
Evaluation of future strategies
It is possible that Emirates Airline will expand its operations into other non – Asian countries/. This means that there will be greater need for the company to take up some of the global trends. For instance, they may increase their flights to the United States. Consequently, the company will have to adopt some of the approaches that air carriers in those regions use. While creativity has been an essential part of Emirates operations, it may be necessary to re-channel some of these creative efforts in the field of technology. (Doganis, 2002)
Some of the Airline carriers in the US are constantly coming up with new ways to increase customer satisfaction through technology. For instance, online booking may have to take greater precedence that it does currently. It may also be necessary to improve customer care in the luggage section through employment of better technologies in keeping customer's luggage. The Company may also have to employ these same technologies in the security problems. Most US air passengers were quite shaken up after the September eleventh attacks. Consequently, security is a crucial part in the US aviation industry. Passengers are demanding greater levels of security through surveillance cameras and the like. These are all issues that Emirates will have to incorporate once it becomes more global.
In the future, Emirates may not be able to access certain markets because of its ‘open skies' strategy. This strategy requires that the Company remained independent of others and hence the reason why the company has stayed away form, alliances. Presently, the Company has met some stiff resistance from certain countries such as Australia. Consequently, Emirates has been prevented from accessing such markets. In the future, it is likely that Emirates may be forced to relax this policy of staying away from alliances. It may decide to maintain such a strategy in most markets but in the event that it meets too much resistance from certain countries, it may be necessary to bend some of its rules. (Smith, 2002)
It is also likely that Emirates Airline will consider expansion strategies as one of the most viable options for the Company in the future. This means that the Company will need to come up with Company representatives in those regions.
Emirates Airlines will have to accommodate greater varieties of employees and this means that the Company will need to leave out a substantial portions of its annual budget to meet this greater increase. However, this is not a totally bad idea for the Company because it stands to get a lot of returns on its investments.
Al in all, the most suitable strategy for Emirates in the future will be a fit strategy. It has been operating on the stretch strategy but this is mostly appropriate in the region. Such a strategy may not work in the rest of the world.
Conclusion
Emirates Airlines was a started in the year 1985 and has undergone numerous changes over those two decades. It is now the best Airline in the Asian Pacific region with awards for innovation in its in-flight entertainment systems. The company has also gained a lot of mileage for its Open skies strategy. It believes that free market solutions are the best drivers for any Airline Company and this is why the company has stayed away from mergers and acquisitions. However, the company needs to embrace more global markets and this will force it top comply with some of the rules in operation within those markets. This means that the company will have to relax some of it open skies policy. It will also have to embrace online systems as a sound marketing tool in the global arena.
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Low cost airlines from Western Europe to Greece?
I would like to travel to Greece, but budget is short. Do you know any low cost airlines which travel to Greece? (from the main European airports)
Western Europe is a big place and so is Greece my friend!
Where are you exactley and where do you want to go in greece??
On all the airlines listed below, if you select Athens as departure point (or another other greek airport desired listed) then it will give you the airport they fly to in destination box. Easyjet, Virgin and Aegean are probably the cheapest but look and ye shall find! Swiss airlines are very cheap to athens on selected dates, not just from Switzerland either, from UK is £115 return including tax:-
US $160.56
