The purpose of this book is twofold. First, it lays out the forces that shaped the international aviation industry and that changed all the rules in the drive for liberalization. Second, it looks at the many interesting and difficult choices ahead that the airline industry in general and the international aviation industry in particular face. These choices include many dichotomies: pulling back from the trend toward liberalization or embracing the liberalization trend, merging in search of profitability or fragmenting the industry in search of economies. These possible futures are explored, including the pros and cons of each future from a national, consumer, employer, and employee perspective. Evolution of International Aviation has been substantially revised to place the triple crises – 9/11, the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic – into context with the declared new Golden Age of 2018 (A4A), Brexit, renewed government aid around the globe, and the Ukraine conflict. It includes a new chapter on safety and security that will start with processes and technology introduced after 9/11 (such as the 24-hour rule, known shippers, and Global Entry programs) and end with recent biometrics and digital identity. As with the previous three editions, this fourth edition of Evolution of International Aviation reviews the historical development of the international aviation system. From this foundation it then provides an updated and expanded account of the current state of the aviation and aerospace industry, including profitability, consolidation, and merger activity. The book includes coverage of the industry segments – airlines, air cargo, and manufacturing – to include the emerging commercial space sector. It also emphasizes the relationship between aviation and the political process, exploring the sustainability of this mode of transportation in a world of climate change, high oil prices, and political instability. Because this book is intended for both the interested amateur and the more serious student, references are provided in the text and at the end of each chapter to allow for further in-depth study.

Dawna L. Rhoades received a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from the University of Washington. She received her Ph.D. in Management from the University of Houston and is currently a professor of strategic management in the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She has served as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, and Graduate Program Coordinator. She is currently the Chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Operations in the College. Her research interests include strategic alliances, regional carrier strategy, and service and safety quality at airlines and airports, intermodal transportation, sustainability, and the strategic and operational issues relating to NextGen air traffic management technology. Her work has appeared in such journals as the Journal of Air Transport Management, Review of Business, Journal of Transportation Management, Journal of Managerial Issues, Managing Service Quality, and the Handbook of Airline Strategy. She is the editor-in-chief for the World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research.

Jennifer L. Hinebaugh is Associate Professor of Management and Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Management, Marketing, and Operations, David B. O’Maley College of Business, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA.