Aviation Management and Education

Aviation management covers all the disciplines that provide the development, management, and control of units such as marketing, accounting, flight planning, quality, safety management and human relations of businesses (airlines, ground services, cargo, catering, airport, etc.) that operate in the aviation industry.

Taking into consideration the growth in the aviation industry, which has witnessed technological and scientific advances recently, the infrastructure and system built at the airports have great significance in the execution of processes that are needed to be carried out in a sustainable manner and in compliance with national and international standards between departments and within the departments. In the world, the aviation sector has achieved a growth of 5% in the last 10 years, while this rate is seen in Turkey as 14%. Bearing in mind that the demand for national and international air transport in Turkey is growing more rapidly than other countries, one of the missions of this discipline is to raise skilled workforce and the efficiency of these skilled workers in their current roles.

Once passenger and flight traffic in the aviation sector are taken into considerations in the last years in Turkey, it is observed that the number of domestic and international flights and passengers increased from hundreds of thousands to millions between 2003 and 2017.  Thanks to the determination of the targets planned to be achieved until 2023 such as the increase of passenger aircraft and passengers, opening of new airports, the increase in the number of domestic and international flight destinations, production of local aircraft, aviation management, and aviation education have become crucial day by day. 

Air transport provides $823 billion to the European economy whereas airlines, airport operators, retailers, and other on-site companies, as well as air transportation providers and manufacturers of civil aircraft contribute to the European gross domestic product.

Although the demand for air transport is predicted to rise worldwide by an average of 4.3 % over the next 20 years, it is expected to contribute substantially to the air transport industry until 2036. This implies a substantial boost to global tourism and the global economy.

Turkish Airlines, one of the world's most prominent commercial aviation companies, is the leading Turkish air transport brand, controlling the aviation market as the world's second best-known company, according to public opinion polls at the airports.

As one of the Star Alliance Association's most crucial members, THY leads the growth of the aviation community in terms of aviation management and aviation education by promoting all domestic and national projects and developing different domestic and international working areas.

The number of aircrafts, which operate in the aviation market and is projected to expand much more in the future and will need a more skilled workforce, is predicted to reach 40,000 by 2023.

The corporations in the aviation sector, which are increasingly growing on local and international levels, pursue their operations with a global understanding across many critical parts of the world. Private airline companies prioritize growing their numbers, fleet capacities, and infrastructure facilities to keep up with the rapid trends and developments. Again, to resolve any potential problems that may be faced in the aviation industry, well-equipped manpower that can engage in all aspects of these activities is required.

The technological applications needed by the industry and the investments made in these applications generate a need for skilled personnel due to global areas of activity, civil aviation space, and several national and foreign legislation, as well as the need to implement modern and advanced techniques in management. It is stipulated that workers employed in the industry, where strict rules are followed, must have specialized technical skills, have a good command of at least one foreign language, a sufficient educational background, and a holistic vision. The need for meeting these conditions has led to the creation of academies that provide competent training in compliance with national and international aviation standards.

Students who are expected to be brought into the industry as employees with the education on aviation management should have several skills such as to be effective in human relationships, to speak a fluent foreign language, to be able to adjust to flexible working hours, to have decent personal care, correct diction and no barriers to travel. Apart from all these skills, it is very important to be able to adapt to teamwork.

In the aviation industry that is booming both in Turkey and in the world day by day and whose market volume increases, equipping staff in a way that will increase qualifications of personnel that will work in this area with aviation training is one of the core missions for proceeding of aviation transportation activities at national and international standards. In line with this growth, universities launch programs and departments on aviation management and education to train qualified personnel who are equipped with aviation knowledge, knows foreign language besides certain information and skills to work in the field of operation and management.  Aviation management and aviation education developed to raise qualified aviation personnel and prospect managers into the industry strive not only to offer diplomas but also to educate professionals with universal ethical and technical principles.

In aviation education general aviation culture and the execution of processes are taught without focusing on one single area. Universities' aviation management and education programs include several fields including management, law, human resources, and marketing. Aviation education program should aspire to train students who are educated in aviation management in a way that they act confidently in the topics related to the sector thanks to the leadership of expert academic staff. A primary goal should be to raise qualified workers who are aware of their legal and ethical obligations, have strong communication, teamwork, and managerial skills in the fast-growing and highly competitive aviation sector. The program, which is aligned to the sector's developments, will provide learners with a thorough guidance on professional issues that the industry requires.

In aviation education curriculum, fundamental lessons such as Mathematics, Statistics, Business, Foreign Language, Accounting, Finance, etc. are taught initially. In the following semesters, the curriculum is enhanced with the lessons on Meteorology, Aviation Operations, Human Relations and Psychology, Ground Handling Management, and technical information about airplanes and airports. Students who aim to get education on aviation management and education and specialize in this field also will receive interdisciplinary courses on Effective Communication, Diction, Public Relations, Security Management, Foreign Language as well as courses such as Fundamentals of Law, Business Operations, Aviation, Aircraft Information, and Flight Principles, Air Transport, Ground Handling Management, Airline Marketing, Air Freight, and Hazardous Products, Logistics Systems, Airport System, Aviation Security, Air Traffic Control Centers, Accounting Practices in Aviation Enterprises, Operational Practices in Airline Enterprises and many more.

If the participants meet program's criteria and complete their training successfully, and in case they meet businesses' recruitment standards in the aviation industry, they are preferred thanks to the training and the shortening of time for starting a job with this training. Aviation training aspires to train skilled employees required by the industry to the field, to make a scientific and academic contribution to the field of aviation management, and to provide suitable educational content and framework for all participants who seek to work in this area.

In addition to recruitment, airline companies often regularly train their employees in the academies they have set up in their departments. Thus, employees refresh their existing knowledge and are kept informed through continuous training regarding emerging innovations. Throughout the increasingly growing aviation sector, you can use aviation management and aviation education consultancy services to establish a new business, academy, and teaching programs that follow current requirements, national and international guidelines.