Higher Education Aviation Programs in Greece
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doi: 10.5028/jatm.v9i4.888 Higher Education Aviation Programs in Greece: A Missed Opportunity or a Challenge to Meet? Konstantinos Malagas1, Alexandra Fragoudaki2, Kyriakos Kourousis3, Nikitas Nikitakos1 ABSTRACT: The air transport industry in Greece has been experiencing a significant growth. However, higher education INTRODUCTION has missed so far this export opportunity. Public universities AVIATION INDUSTRY: THE GENERAL CONTEXT and technological educational institutes have very limited The aviation industry continues to grow, despite economic undergraduate offerings in the fields of aeronautical engineering and aircraft maintenance technology, respectively. These and other issues affecting economic development in many programs are offered only in the local language, practically parts of the world. The global aviation workforce counts with restricting them to the indigenous market. Postgraduate approximately 10 million people acting directly in the industry offerings are currently inexistent. This study proposes a and nearly 63 million people in support of the industry, including generic model for undergraduate and postgraduate aviation programs. This model, aligning with the world’s best practice tourism services (ATAG 2016). Aviation is very important for in aviation education, would have to be adjusted to meet the Greek economy, in terms of its influence on tourism and the Greek aviation industry. A preliminary investigation to trade. Moreover, air transportation connects geographically identify the characteristics of the model was conducted in remote areas, including the large number of islands around the Greek aviation industry, through a survey supported with in-depth interviews. The research findings suggest that it is the country. The Greek air transport market comprised 48.81 necessary to invest in the strengths of the Greek aviation million passengers in 2015, compared to 44.6 million in 2014, industry (aviation services and aircraft maintenance) and the which corresponds to 9.5%. In the same year, the domestic traffic strategic advantages of the country (climate favorable for flight training and touristic attractiveness). The need for a increased by 20% and the international one, by 5.5% (Hellenic Civil postgraduate aviation program is highlighted, in contrast to Aviation Authority 2016). The long-term passenger traffic trend the introduction of an undergraduate program, which came (international and domestic; Fig. 1) is also indicative of the up as less desirable. Moreover, the need for export-driven aviation sector growth in Greece. target-oriented synergies between industry and academia has been a key observation. Aegean Airlines, following the acquisition of Olympic Air, has a key role in the Greek air transport industry, having served, in 2015, KEYWORDS: Aviation, Aviation education, Aviation training, 11.5 million passengers with a fleet of 58 aircraft (Aviator 2014). Air transport, Higher education, Universities. Moreover, new airlines, such as Ellinair and Astra Airlines, apart from serving the Greek market, expand their activities to foreign countries (e.g. Russian Federation). Until today, all Greek airports are owned and managed by the State, except for the Athens International Airport (AIA), which commenced its operation in 2001. A recent development is the approval of the agreement between the Greek Government and private investors for the privatization of 14 Greek airports. A private investment 1.University of the Aegean – School of Business – Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport – Chios – Greece. 2.National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – School of Economics and Political Sciences – Department of Economics – Athens – Greece. 3.University of Limerick – Faculty of Science and Engineering - School of Engineering– Limerick – Ireland. Author for correspondence: Konstantinos Malagas | University of the Aegean – School of Business – Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport | 2a Korai Street | Postal code: 82132 – Chios – Greece | E-mail: [email protected] Received: Mar. 08, 2017 | Accepted: Mar. 13, 2017 J. Aerosp. Technol. Manag., São José dos Campos, Vol.9, No 4, pp.510-518, Oct.-Dec., 2017 Higher Education Aviation Programs in Greece: A Missed Opportunity or a Challenge to Meet? 511 of approximately 330 million Euros, over the next 4 years, will Aeronautical University, Purdue University, Lewis University, fund airport infrastructure improvements, increasing the overall Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, RMIT traffic capacity of the country and, consequently, the aircraft University etc. maintenance activity (Fraport 2015). In turn, the industry’s In the Greek higher education sector, there are currently needs for educated, well-trained and skilled professionals is very few institutions offering programs in transportation. anticipated to increase in the next years. Universities and Technological Educational Institutes (TEI) have several undergraduate offerings in the fields 50,000,000 of aeronautical engineering (University of Patras, Hellenic 45,000,000 Air Force Academy) and aircraft maintenance technology 40,000,000 (TEI of Central Greece). In addition, there are some air 35,000,000 transport courses that are part of Business Administration 30,000,000 25,000,000 and Tourism programs (e.g. University of the Aegean). 20,000,000 Besides, these undergraduate programs are offered only 15,000,000 in the local (Greek) language, which practically restricts 10,000,000 them to the indigenous market. Postgraduate offerings are 5,000,000 currently inexistent. Higher education students can engage 0 in aviation-related areas through final-year projects, Master’s 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 3004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 programs and PhD research. In the training domain, there Figure 1. Total passenger traffic to/from Greece (1995 – are private training organizations that deliver aviation- 2015; Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority 2016). related professional or vocational courses for pilots, aircraft maintenance mechanics/technicians, cabin crew, flight HUMAN CAPITAL: EDUCATION AND TRAINING dispatchers and other support staff (e.g. ground handling, Investment on human capital, in the form of education and ticketing and reservation etc.). When applicable, training, training, has a key role in sustaining the industry’s growth. One certificates and licenses are validated and issued by the characteristic example of this close link is the introduction of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), EASA, ICAO Boeing 747, which led to the establishment of a number of or delegated bodies. Despite the change happening in the aviation programs in the US Universities (Prather 1998). Keeping Greek aviation industry, the higher education and training up with a growing passenger traffic requires a growing number sector has yet to respond adequately to the market needs, of knowledgeable employees graduating from high-quality which includes the creation of cross synergies in offerings. academic programs (Lindseth 1998; Lappas and Kourousis 2016). Civil aviation training is provided by commercial flight DESIGN AND ESTABLISHMENT OF AVIATION and maintenance training organizations, with the International PROGRAMS Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Aviation Safety The provision of competent people is the base for the Agency (EASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) progress of a sustainable aviation system, and this should be and the national aviation authorities providing guidelines or achieved via education and training, developed further to dictating the rules for course offerings, organizational structure, face the lack of qualified and competent aviation personnel teaching staff qualifications etc. Nevertheless, these organizations at a global level for all aviation positions (ICAO 2015). generally have weak links with higher education institutions, Universities have an important role in accommodating which, in effect, limits the interaction for the purposes of the increasing needs of the aviation industry. Those which aviation education, training and research. There are, however, offer aviation programs should establish clearly stated and many paradigms of successful integration of aviation training specific learning objectives, essential for both instructors and education. A number of public and private universities and students, as the former need to provide a precise roadmap in Europe, USA, Asia and elsewhere offer a wide range of for the facilitation of the instructional process and the latter, aviation programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to create a clear picture of the instructor’s expectations such as Cranfield University, Delft University, Embry-Riddle (Johnson and Ferguson 1998). J. Aerosp. Technol. Manag., São José dos Campos, Vol.9, No 4, pp.510-518, Oct.-Dec., 2017 Malagas K, Fragoudaki A, Kourousis K, Nikitakos N 512 Factors Affecting the Quality of the Program – Perceived management courses; airport management courses; aviation Quality services management or air cargo management courses. The establishment of a high-quality aviation bachelor’s degree An interesting insight on how an airport management should consider many aspects, as suggested by Lindseth (1998): curriculum should be is provided by Prather (1998), who • Curriculum: breadth and depth of course offerings, examined the airport managers’ points of view. Fields of scholarship and high academic standards. study which were highly