Aviation Management. A contemporary term that we see flowing around the industry in the recent years. But what does it really mean ? What subjects will I be studying in Aviation Management ? What career will i have with a degree in Aviation Management ? Will I become a Pilot ? Or will I be in the tower ?
After 4 years of studying aviation management, researching about it, & explaining it to others in major industry conferences & events, I think I can easily say these are by far the most asked questions. Not just to me, but to every Aviation Management student I know. In this post, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about Aviation Management and then some.
What is Aviation Management ?
AVM, short for aviation management, in simple language, is the study of how to run airlines, airports, & other industry-related corporations, from a business perspective so they can maximize their profits, and minimize their costs. This means that all of our knowledge will revolve around how to make these aviation companies profitable.
For example, have you ever thought to yourself why do you sometimes board an airplane from a jet bridge like this:
But in other instances, you find yourself having to ride a short bumpy trip in a bus to get to your plane ?
Well, if you thought that this happens because the pilot could not find a parking spot close to the airport building, then you are partially correct. The reality is that if you were fly a low cost airline like Flynas, Southwest Airlines, or Ryan Air, then you were just part of a business deal.
In Aviation Management you learn that everything is money. Even where you park your plane. The general rule of thumb is that when airlines pick to park their aircraft far away from the airport’s building , they will be paying a lot less than if they parked at the gates directly. This means that the airline is now saving tons of money.
In addition to that, in aviation management you also learn that airports need to make money as well. So, they charge much more money for the gates compared to far away airfield ramps. This way, they can earn tons of money from companies that favor that quick gate access & smooth trip for their passengers.
This was just a brief example explaining what goes on backstage when you take a bus trip to your airplane compared to using the jet bridge to board. So in summary, you study aviation management to learn how to manage aviation companies from a business perspective, maximizing their profits, & minimizing their costs.
What subjects will I be studying in Aviation Management ?
In general, since we are talking about “Aviation Management” this means that the program will probably offer a wide variety of courses that will encompass the aviation sector from several directions.
At Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, they offer courses ranging from Airline operations, to Airport Operations & from Aviation Laws and Policies to IT in Aviation. This means that you will probably graduate with a much broader knowledge span about the industry compared to a program called ” Airports Managment “, which we be will featuring in a future post. For that, we encourage you to take a look, as it may differ from one institution to another.
Will I become a Pilot or an Air traffic controller if I have an Aviation Management degree ?
This a yes or no question. Its a yes because you can definitely become a pilot after you graduate from an aviation management program, & its a no, because it doesn’t fully qualify you for that particular occupation. Although having an Aviation Management Degree has its advantages, yet you will still have to go through a completely different process to get yourself qualified to become a pilot or a traffic controller. We will be discussing these in a different post soon however, so stay posted.
What Job will I have once I graduate from an Aviation Management Program ?
Remember when we talked about how the “Aviation Management” term is very broad and covers a wide scope of knowledge ? Well, this will still apply when you finally graduate and start looking for a job opportunity. If you wanted to work at an airline , then you will have enough knowledge & qualifications to work there. Same applies to airports, air navigation service providers, grand handling companies, cargo & supply chain companies, & many many more. You will probably start off as an Officer at these organizations but then see yourself climbing the corporate ladder pretty quickly. As promised, we will write a dedicated blog post talking about the advantages of an Aviation Management program.
So if we were to summarize Aviation Management in couple of words, its the study of turning companies in the aviation industry into money making entities. In Aviation Management in particular, you can expect to study about literally everything, from aviation laws, airports, airlines, cargo and the list goes on. Consequently, you will have the background, education, & knowledge to be able to work anywhere an opportunity presents itself in the industry.
We hope you found this post useful & would love to hear your thoughts down below !
For now, Stay Safe, Dream Big, & Keep Flying!
