Network Agility

Opinion

What is Network Agility?  At Greenstone we think of agility as having the built-in ability to respond to changing dynamics.  Fleet changes take time and depending of the level of change can be expensive in both time and cost.   Having agility built into your network design will make your airline more resilient.

Designing a network with agility in mind can help to minimise cost and also maximise revenue as demand cycles vary.  While revenue management techniques can help with demand in high and low demand periods, sometimes the ability to add or remove structural capacity (seats) while maintaining schedule integrity is the best option.

Understanding demand cycles, seasonality and special events and how these impact on your airline business are essential elements when designing the network and evaluating fleet selection and ownership or leasing arrangements.  Building in the ability to change gauge of aircraft while maintaining your vital schedule integrity will help with both maximising revenue opportunities and reducing the need for deep discounting and dumping of distressed inventory.

Agility is also more than switching different aircraft between different markets.  Agility is also about ownership and leasing.  While short term leases may be expensive they also having the benefit of being able to exit capacity and cost at short notice if required.  Achieving the right balance of aircraft gauge, fit to mission, capacity and ownership/lease structure is critical to success.

​Having built-in Network Agility is a powerful tool.  Talk to Greenstone Aero today about how to achieve Network Agility in your airline.