ABSTRACT
The airline industry is being radically transformed by the intersection of many forces-globalization, liberalization, privatization, hypercompetition, shortening technology cycles, changing demographics, economic and social cultures, rising consumer expectations and power, environmentalism, and the growing concern for safety/security. The first section of this chapter highlights just two of these major forcesdemography and customer expectations-that are changing the airline customer. The second section deals with two other major forcescompetition and technology. Both are changing the dynamics of the airline industry. A brief assessment of these four forces-two that affect the customer and two that affect the industry dynamics-can help airline managements identify, develop, and implement short-and long-term business strategies, particularly with respect to the role of emerging technology. That is the theme of this book.
