Course spotlight: Airline Management and Marketing with Professor Ozaman (Tisch Center)

For students with an interest in the world of aviation, Professor Ozaman’s course at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality is a perfect introduction to airline management and marketing. Professor Ozaman tells us more about the course here.

What are the course objectives of this new airline course? 

The main objective for this class it to look at the airline industry through a marketing and management lens. What I’m trying to do is to bring theory into reality. In other words, my main purpose of this course is to apply business knowledge in the real-working environment and show students how they can use their economic background in a real-world scenario, in this case, the airline industry. 

What trends and challenges have you seen in the airline industry? 

The airline industry is very dynamic, which means something is happening everyday. One of the big trends has been the phenomena of the low-cost carriers (LCC) and specifically how this trend have affected airline companies. In addition, there have been several companies going bankrupt and discontinuing their operations. This has affected the other big players in the industry. In addition, safety has been a big challenge and trend, as shown by Boeing 737-MAX planes. There are so many moving parts in aviation and not only on a macro level, but on a micro level, this affects companies in labor and fuel prices. In this class, we will incorporate case studies and one of the case studies involve examining operations and overall performance of the industry. I always like to tell my students, there is never a boring day in aviation!

What sort of impact do you hope to have on your students? 

I am trying to create interest towards the aviation industry. At NYU, we have very smart students who are moving in the right direction in their career paths, however pursuing a career in aviation is not always on the top of their list. Given the limited courses in the airline industry, many students make their career choices and overlook a career in this industry. I want to make them aware of this option as it incorporates many different disciplines such as finance, marketing, management, and several others. 

What are you most looking forward to teaching about this class? 

I want to convey the theoretical aspects and fundamentals to my students on how the industry runs in all aspects. Specifically, how concepts are developed and applied, even looking at topics such as overbooking and fleet management. I also am looking forward to touching on recent developments, introducing recent case studies on what’s happening in the market. When you make the connection between fundamentals and application, the picture becomes 3 dimensional and allows students to understand the industry’s impact on the real world. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share? 

I am super thrilled to have this course be introduced at NYU. NYU is a fantastic school and offers many different options for students, and I am happy to see this airline course as one of the options. I am hoping this course creates new interest for students and that more students will consider a career in this business. It’s a very fascinating industry that incorporates several different disciplines. For example, if you’re specializing in finance, you may not think of this as your first career option, however this industry really has a great need for finance professionals. As long as students are exposed and know about this business in greater detail, I will be happy.