Air Transport Financial Management
Build the financial expertise needed to evaluate airline and airport performance, investment decisions, and long-term sustainability in air transport.
@ Aeroclass
Course description
Air transport is one of the most capital-intensive and financially complex industries in the world. Airlines and airports operate with thin margins, high fixed costs, volatile revenues, and significant exposure to market and operational risks. Sound financial decision-making is therefore essential for sustainable performance.
This class provides a practical and structured examination of financial management in the air transport industry. Participants will explore airline and airport cost structures, revenue models, capital investment decisions, fleet economics, financing strategies, and risk exposure. Financial theory is combined with real-world aviation applications, using industry metrics, case examples, and data-driven analysis.
Throughout the class, participants will develop the ability to interpret financial statements, apply capital budgeting techniques, evaluate fleet and infrastructure investments, and assess financial performance using industry-specific indicators. The training is designed to significantly enhance financial literacy and decision-making effectiveness for professionals working across airline, airport, consulting, and aviation economics functions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this class, participants will be equipped to:
- Analyze airline and airport cost structures, revenue streams, and key financial drivers
- Interpret and evaluate aviation-specific financial statements and performance indicators
- Apply capital budgeting techniques to fleet, route, and infrastructure investment decisions
- Calculate and assess core airline operating metrics such as CASK, RASK, yield, and breakeven load factor
- Evaluate aircraft financing, leasing options, and financial risk exposure in fuel, currency, and interest rates
Who should attend
- Airline finance, strategy, and commercial managers
- Airport management and finance professionals
- Revenue management, network planning, and fleet planning specialists
- Aviation consultants and analysts
- Professionals transitioning into aviation finance roles
- Regulators and stakeholders seeking financial insight into air transport
Meet your instructor
Bijan Vasigh
Dr. Bijan Vasigh is a professor of Economics and Finance in the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Florida. He has focused his research, teaching, and consulting on the theory, modeling, and application of financial instruments in transport finance. He is the author of North America’s leading aviation textbooks, including An Introduction to Air Transport Economics: From Theory to Application, Foundation of Airline Finance: Methodology and Practices, and Aircraft Finance: Strategies for Managing Capital Costs in a Turbulent Industry.
Dr. Vasigh’s work has led to formal collaborations with multiple domestic government agencies and foreign governments, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Learning Center, and NASA on a grant on “Determination of Statewide Economic Benefits of the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS).” He has been interviewed and quoted by national and international news media, including The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, CBS News, USA Today, Forbes, Bloomberg Business, National Public Radio (NPR) Marketplace, El Pais (Spain), Rzeczpospolita (Poland), Trinidad Express, Cuba News, and The Guardian (United Kingdom), among others.
One of the largest assets that an airline has are aircraft, so it is critically important to develop a methodology that estimates an aircraft's value and determines efficient utilization to ensure an acceptable lease payment.
Why you should attend?
Financial pressures in air transport continue to intensify due to volatile demand, rising costs, capital constraints, and increasing competition. Airlines and airports must continuously assess profitability, investment trade-offs, and financial risk under uncertain market conditions.
Understanding how financial decisions affect fleet strategy, network performance, infrastructure development, and long-term viability is now essential for aviation professionals across disciplines. This training addresses the growing need for financial fluency in aviation, enabling informed participation in strategic discussions, investment evaluations, and performance assessments that directly influence organizational resilience and competitiveness.
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