Aviation business students taking the IATA airline management challenge

‘Become an airline management leader’ was the headline when a group of Haaga-Helia’s Degree Program in Aviation Business students entered a competition arranged by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the spring of 2024. The IATA Airline Management Challenge 2024 provided university students and recent graduates from around the world with the opportunity to sharpen their management skills and apply their knowledge in a real market conditions-based simulation game, competing for market share and profitability (IATA 2024).

The context for the challenge supported the Airline Business course content with key commercial unit function themes such as Marketing and Sales, Network Planning, Revenue Management and Pricing. Applying gamification into the course was very much welcome. Participation in the challenge was primarily set for the Aviation Business course participants, however, all students in the Aviation Business Program had the chance to apply and potentially participate in the game.

The challenge: How to run an airline

Participants of the Airline Management Challenge have the possibility to run their own airline with its unique strategy, focusing on products and services that reflect the airline’s strategic approach. The aim of the game is to create an airline with a sustainable profitable business model. The winning team is the one creating the most profit.

Why Haaga-Helia students with different levels and various types of expertise in aviation entered the competition was not only the possibility to participate in a valuable simulation game. In addition, the participation offered a unique experience to link the competition context with the Airline Business course framework that focuses on all the modules provided by the simulation game.

The Airline Business course and its pedagogical fit to the challenge

The implementation of the Airline Business course aims at developing the students’ ability to build a holistic view of an airline’s key commercial unit activity functions. After a successful participation of the course the participant has proficiency in recognising real-life airline commercial business functions and assess their impact on airline business considerations. The outcome for participation includes the following proficiencies.

• Interpreting airline business concepts and drivers such as strategic considerations.
• Ability to recognise processes between airline business stakeholders.
• Assess airline key unit functions and their intent in context of airline management.
• Applying KPIs impact considerations on airline route and origin & destination performance.
• Enhance the students’ ability to cultivate strategic thinking and articulate functions in different airline business models.

As a result, the expectation of participating in the challenge, and including gamification to the learning experience, was to enhance the pedagogical aim described above. The opportunity to participate in a real-life setting and get a first-hand feel of the complex dynamics of the airline business by using a simulation platform was too interesting to pass.

The game itself lasted roughly for one and a half month. The friendly competition atmosphere with weekly checkups steered by IATA professionals created an additional invaluable learning experience for the participants. During the checkups, teams had the possibility to ask any questions or raise concerns that participants had based on the situation their team was in at the time.

Outcome of participation in the simulation game

The Haaga-Helia team went through several possible stages of an airline’s strategy considerations. The workflow of the game took the team from evaluating and reasoning decision-taking based on historical data analysis, challenging team management skills, to making risky and bold conclusions. Thus, testing any possible way to improve profitability. The team received the simulated real-life experience of acting in a very stressful and critical environment, where every decision must be evaluated several times to complete the full network outlook.

The team was able to manage the required tasks and workflow in an exemplary manner. Moreover, the educational intent was fulfilled, giving all team members the opportunity to learn how it feels to run an airline and an enhanced understanding of airline management. Furthermore, the atmosphere where participants were competing against top universities worldwide enhanced the motivation to perform as individuals and team members.

Gamification as support for enhancing learning objectives

Our aviation students gathered valuable experience, insights and knowledge by applying their knowledge through out the game. As such, whether the platform and tool can handle real life scenarios in a sophisticated manner is of little value, compared to the fruitful discussions the challenge provided for the competing teams. Based on the participating team´s feedback it seems evident that the game had a positive outcome on the learning experience. As a result, it remains interesting to see how we can develop the course content and further induce the learning experience through gamification.

I sincerely hope that students will have the opportunity in the future to participate in the challenge, as it creates a valuable environment where students can combine theory with practice, learn and pursue performance excellence.

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