Introduction to Air Transport

This book highlights the economic, systemic, and forward-looking dimensions of air transport, offering a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the functioning, evolution, and future challenges of the global airline industry. Its main strength lies in its ability to address a wide and diverse audience. Structured around five chapters, the book examines the historical development of aviation, the complexity of the air transport ecosystem, airline business model dynamics, competitive strategies, and future challenges such as climate change, evolving passenger behavior, and geopolitical issues. Combining academic rigor with clarity, it fills a gap in the literature by providing an up-to-date and multidisciplinary perspective. It raises timely questions about the sustainability of current airline business models and offers insights into the technological, regulatory, and societal transformations shaping the future of aviation.
The original French edition was appreciated not only by students but also by aviation professionals (pilots, cabin crew, managers), consultants, lawyers, and public decision-makers seeking a concise and structured understanding of the air transport sector's key issues.

Paul Chiambaretto is a full professor of strategic management at MBS School of Business and an associate researcher at École Polytechnique, France. As a specialist in air transport economics and management, he is the director of the Chaire Pégase, a research institute dedicated to these subjects. He is also a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure and holds a PhD in management science from the École Polytechnique, France. He has written numerous research articles on the strategies of air transport players (e.g., airlines, airports, manufacturers). Emmanuel Combe is a full professor of economics at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and affiliated professor at Skema Business School, France. He is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He was Vice-Chairman of the French Competition Authority from 2012 to 2022. He is the author of Le low cost (2nd edition, 2019) and La politique de la concurrence (3rd edition, 2016), both published in the "Repères" collection.