Introduction to the Air Transport System

The book provides deep insights into the operations and business of the air transport system, i.e., airlines, airports, and ATC/ATM (Air Traffic Control/Management). It reviews activities of the air transport operators, functions and processes, as well as the needs and requirements of users and customers in a simple and easy to understand way. A brief description of aviation history, the air transport system development and processes are followed by the elaboration of the aircraft’s elements, masses, payload-range diagrams, and balance. The fundamentals of airports and the ATC/ATM service providers and their contribution to the air transport system are also provided. Moreover, the most important elements in the airport and ATC/ATM system are examined, and the rules, regulations and simplified approaches to how these systems operate are described. The airlines play an important role in the air transport system as users of the airports’ and ATC/ATM service providers. Different business models are presented as well as the fundamentals of airline planning, operations and management (including passenger demand, market segmentation, scheduling, tariffs, alliances, and frequent flyer programs). Besides passenger transport, the book contains an overview and comprehensive guide of the air cargo transport by addressing the key issues such as: the current trends, market characteristics, unit load devices, cargo handling, air cargo documents, and transport of different kind of goods (perishable, live human organs, live animals, dangerous, heavy, etc.).

Dr. Milica Kalić is Full Professor of Transportation networks, Airline planning and operations, Basics of Air transport and Airline Business and Organization with the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (UB-FTTE), Serbia. She acquired BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in air transportation from the UB-FTTE. She is currently the head of the Department of Air Transportation and the head of Division of Aircraft Operation and Air Transport Planning and Management. She has authored more than 100 papers published in the international scientific journals, monographs, and conference proceedings. She is a member of Scientific and Programme Committee of EURO Working Group on Transportation (EWGT) conference. Her research interests include airline planning and operations (revenue management, air network design, airline scheduling, air passenger demand prediction etc.), and application of soft computing techniques in the field of transport.

Dr. Slavica Dožić is Assistant Professor of Transportation networks, Airline planning and operations, Basics of Air transport, Airline fleet and network planning and management, and Fleet management with the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (FTTE), Serbia. She acquired BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in air transportation from the UB-FTTE. She has authored more than 35 papers in published in the international scientific journals, monographs, and conference proceedings. She won the best graduated student award at the Air Transportation Department of The Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering "Zoran Radosavljevic" (2001), the best paper of the session award at the 1st ICRAT (International Conference for Research in Air Transportation) hold in Žilina, Slovakia (2004), and the award for the best master's thesis of University and college students for the school year 2007/2008 by Belgrade Chamber of Commerce. Her research interests include the airline planning and operations (fleet planning, air network design, airline scheduling, air passenger demand prediction etc.), multi-criteria decision making in air transportation, and application of the soft computing techniques in the field of transport.

Dr. Danica Babić is Assistant Professor of Transportation networks, Airline planning and operations, Basics of Air transport, Airline fleet and network planning and management, and Airline planning and operation management with the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (FTTE), Serbia. She acquired BSc, MSc and PhD in the field of air transportation from the UB-FTTE. She is the author of more than 25 papers published in the international scientific journals and conference proceedings. She won the Faculty Award for outstanding achievement in the fifth year of study in the 2003/04 school year and the Đoko Vlajković Endowment Award for the best scientific work of the young scientists of the University of Belgrade, published in the group of technical and technological sciences (2017/2018). Her research interests include the airline planning and operations (revenue management, air network design, airline scheduling, air passenger demand prediction etc.), and application of the soft computing techniques in the field of transport.