Lesson 4

• Jet airliner

  Aircraft developed after World War II that led to the development of commercial jets which can service travelers
• Engine and aircraft design refinements

  Improved efficiency and increased carrying capacity for passengers, resulting in reduced seat costs
• Airbus 'superjumbo' A380

  Double decker aircraft seating between 550 and 800 passengers, introduced more functionality and accommodations for passengers
• Development of more advanced and sophisticated aircrafts

  Significantly affected "mass tourism" or "mass travel"
• Commercial aviation was very slow to catch on with the general public, most of whom were afraid to ride in the new flying machines
• With the advent of World War I, the military value of aircraft was quickly recognized, and production increased significantly to meet the soaring demands for planes from government on both sides of the Atlantic
• Transport of mail by air

  1. 1917: U.S. government felt enough progress had been made in the development of planes to warrant this

  2. Mid-1920s: Post Office mail fleet was flying 2.5 million miles and delivering 14 million letters annually
• In 1925, the Contract Air mail Act was passed by Congress
• In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge appointed a board to recommend a national aviation policy
• Ford's involvement in aircraft manufacturing

  • 1925: Won the right to carry mail from Chicago to Detroit and Cleveland
  • 1927: Produced the Ford Trimotor, commonly referred to as the Tin Goose, one of the first all-metal planes
• Ford Trimotor (Tin Goose)

  • Made of duralumin, which was almost as light as aluminum but twice as strong
  • Designed primarily to carry passengers rather than mail
• For the airlines to attract passengers away from railroads, they needed both larger and faster airplanes
• The 1930s were the most innovative period in aviation history
• Radio

  Another development of enormous importance to aviation
• Boeing 247

  Generally considered the first modern passenger airliner
• DC-3

  The plane that changed the world, the first aircraft to enable airlines to make money carrying passengers
• Planes like the Boeing 247 and the DC-3

  • Could fly no higher than 10,000 feet, because people became dizzy and even fainted, due to the reduced levels of oxygen at higher altitudes
• Pressurized cabin

  Air was pumped into the aircraft as it gained altitude to maintain an atmosphere inside the cabin similar to the atmosphere that occurs naturally at lower altitudes
• Stratoliner

  The first pressurized aircraft, introduced in 1940 and first flown by TWA
• Radar was another technological development with much greater impact on the war's outcome (and later on commercial aviation)
• Federal Aviation Act of 1958

  Passed by Congress in response to the 1956 mid-air collision over the Grand Canyon, creating the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a new safety regulatory agency
• The Philippine Government passed the Civil Aeronautics Act

  1952
• Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and Air Transportation Office (ATO)

  Authorities given the responsibility to promote adequate, economical, and efficient passenger airline service, and promote competition between passenger airlines and other carriers
• In 1973, Philippine Airlines was granted a virtual monopoly in the aviation industry in the country, causing other airlines to be closed down
• In September 1973, the Philippine Government invested in PAL, paving the way for the airline's nationalization
• Philippine Airlines' early history

  1. 1941: Founded

  2. September 2: Began service to Cebu

  3. First Asian airline to cross the Pacific, operating a chartered Douglas DC-4 to ferry U.S. servicemen
• Philippine Airlines

  The flag carrier of the Philippines, operating from its base at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the oldest airline in Asia operating under its original name
• Elements of the civil aviation business

  • Equipment manufacturers
  • Airports
  • Air navigation and traffic control services
  • Airlines
• Equipment manufacturers

  • Companies manufacturing commercial airframes and engines, divided between large jet aircraft and smaller aircraft
• The world demand for airframes is dominated by Boeing Aircraft and Airbus Integrated Company
• Airport ownership

  Varies from country to country, can be state-owned, privately owned, or split between public and private sectors
• In the Philippines, the major airport is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, managed by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)
• Airports

  • Require a good balance of passengers to freight to maximize profitability, boost revenue and profits through commercial activities like shops and services
• Congestion at major international airports is becoming so acute that new technology is being pressed into service to improve ground handling
• Air traffic control (ATC)


  Guides aircraft in to and out of airports, provides pilots with detailed information on ground conditions, and is responsible for all flights within a geographically defined area
• Types of airline services


  • Scheduled
  • Charter
  • Air taxi
• Scheduled services


  • Operate on defined routes, domestic or international, for which licenses have been granted, required to operate on published timetables
• Low-cost low fare (LCLF) carriers


  Also known as "no frills" or "budget" carriers, have been successful due to efficient operations and low costs, cutting into markets formerly held by traditional full-cost carriers
• Charter services


  • Do not operate according to published timetables, the aircraft is chartered to intermediaries who are responsible for selling the seats
• Air taxi services


  Privately chartered aircraft accommodating between 4 and 18 people, used particularly by business travelers, offer convenience and flexibility with tailor-made routings