Originally published as Benchmarking: An International Journal
Volume 12 Issue 2, 2005
ISBN: 1 84544 134 6
Guest edited by: Graham Francis, Waikato University, New Zealand & Ian Humphreys, Loughborough University, UK.
December 2003 marked the 100th anniversary of the first heavier than air controlled, powered flight by the Wright Brothers.
Since then the aviation business has changed beyond all recognition and in doing so has shrunk the globe and profoundly affected global business and the way we live. The continuing speed of change and rapid growth have resulted in a complex array of challenges for managers including: increasing congestion of infrastructure, safety, sustainability, environmental and social opposition to aircraft operations, airport and air traffic privatisation and commercialization, alliances and mergers between airlines, deregulation of markets, the operation of new larger aircraft, and the continued rise of low cost carriers.
Such pressures have led many managers, planners and regulators to use benchmarking to measure and manage performance. The main players will depend heavily on inter organisational learning if they are to meet the challenges of a market forecast to double in size over the next 15 years. In civil aviation benchmarking in its various guises may offer the potential of:
- Providing information to meet the needs of managers and planners in a volatile market environment
- Offering possible solutions drawn from best practice elsewhere in the industry
- Offering a means of improving efficiency through learning both within organizations and between organisations
- Facilitating effective economic and environmental regulation
- Maintaining and improving air transport safety through sharing information and knowledge.
This Special Issue includes papers that cover a variety of aspects of benchmarking drawn from different parts of civil aviation: airports airlines and air traffic control.
Contents:
Airport benchmarking: a review of the current situation
This paper finds that benchmarking techniques have become well established in recent years within the airport sector. However there is still some way to go in overcoming some of the problems that inhibit effective benchmarking on a truly international basis.
Aviation benchmarking: Issues and industry insights from benchmarking results
This paper aims to describe the processes used to ensure that the comparisons made between airport and airline performance are as meaningful as possible, and to highlight a number of issues which need to be considered when making performance comparisons in aviation.
Benchmarking in civil aviation: some empirical evidence
This paper aims to explore the use of best practice benchmarking in civil aviation. Evidence was gathered from two international questionnaire surveys of the top 200 airlines and the top 200 airports. Supplementary evidence included interviews with airline and airport managers.
Benchmarking to economic value added: The case of Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited
This paper describes and analyses the adoption of economic value added (EVA) income as a benchmark for setting pricing and other policies of a monopolistic state-owned enterprise in the absence of normal benchmarking mechanisms.
Exploring the potential for environmental performance benchmarking in the airline sector
This paper aims to present the findings of an investigation into environmental reporting practice in the airline sector. Evidence was gathered from an international survey of 272 IATA Airlines. Responses accounted 65 per cent of the world's scheduled passenger traffic.
Environmental and operational sustainability of airports: Core indicators and stakeholder communication
This paper aims to propose and assess a core set of environmental and operational sustainability indicators for airport benchmarking, based on research conducted for a decision support tool designed to support airport environmental and operational sustainability.
About Benchmarking: An International Journal
Benchmarking: an International Journal regularly reviews different approaches to benchmarking to help develop and refine the best possible approach for any organization. By looking at the actual performance of other companies, benchmarking helps set demanding, but realistic and achievable performance improvement targets.
Benchmarking: an International Journal brings a new perspective on benchmarking and total quality in organizations. From strategic advisory articles aimed at senior decision makers to practical guidance for managers running real benchmarking projects, it illustrates how to make benchmarking work effectively. Any organization can use benchmarking to powerful effect, and this journal covers its use in every type of business.
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