ABSTRACT
The aviation sector consists of many profoundly different parties, all with their specific tasks and characteristics. Parties providing products or services to the passenger are very visible and known, like aircraft manufacturers, airlines and airports. One of the fundamental differences among parties in aviation is between governmental bodies versus commercial entities. Governmental bodies concentrate on safety and security without a responsibility for profitability. Commercial entities need to operate profitably, with bankruptcy as the final consequence for not meeting this basic requirement. Designing an aircraft requires many years of research and development and extensive testing. This design is finally produced by sophisticated materials and production techniques. The three dimensions of aviation – technology, economy and politics – influence each other constantly. Aviation can be classified into engineering and operations. Many aviation organizations, like suppliers, airlines or airports, have typical engineering departments apart from typical operational departments.
