Business Communication

Coursework assignment

Read the case Aberdeen Airport and complete the task following it. Present your answer in an
academic report format with numbered sections and sub-sections. You will need to make use of your
existing knowledge of business management and/or conduct some background reading on any relevant
models/theories/concepts that will facilitate a comprehensive analysis. For guidance, refer to the
seminar materials provided: business management tools, the model report (Birmingham Furniture
Company), language for cases, academic language and style, academic vocabulary, paragraphing, and
problems and solutions.

ABERDEEN AIRPORT
Aberdeen Airport is one of the seven UK airports owned by the British Airports Authority (BAA plc). Last
year, 2.5 million passengers used Aberdeen airport. It was opened in 1935 and is located seven miles
from the city. When the airport opened, it was surrounded by countryside, but the development of the
city means that housing is now located near to the airport. It has one main passenger terminal, and two
which are specifically used for the numerous helicopters serving the North Sea oil rigs. Aberdeen is the
largest oil-related centre in Europe.

Routes
Fifteen airlines use Aberdeen Airport, offering 30 destinations which include London, Amsterdam, Paris,
Orkney and Shetland. Due to the fact that the runway is shorter than other major airports, many of the
larger planes commonly used for holiday flights do not use this airport. Travelling to Tenerife from
Aberdeen requires the plane to land for refuelling midway through the journey, as the combined weight
of the aeroplane and fuel would require a longer take-off area than currently available at Aberdeen.
However, flights to London, Paris and Amsterdam are used by people wishing to fly further afield on
holiday, as the Aberdeen flight provides a connection to these airports where they can transfer to other
available flights. This does not mean that the cost of convenience is added to the price of holidays for
the Aberdeen Airport traveller. Some package holidays are available direct from Aberdeen, mainly to
the Spanish islands, Malta and more recently Italy. Online booking of tickets means that travellers just
have to appear at the airport with their booking reference number. There is no longer any need for
tickets to be sent out by post to customers.
A new airline has recently postponed the launch of flights from Aberdeen to Oslo (Norway). A lack of
bookings forced the launch to be postponed until March. Travelling further north in winter did not appeal
to the Aberdeen public. It is hoped that Swedish people will visit Aberdeen more frequently. Like
Norwegians, they may find the price of consumer goods in Aberdeen to be much lower than at home.

Security
As with all UK airports; security in Aberdeen airport has had to be tightened in recent years. The first
phase of a 1.5 million development has resulted in a new security search area. New technology is
used to scan luggage and track passengers in some airports. For example, Gatwick airport requires
passengers to have their photograph taken and details put into a barcode which is attached to the
passengers boarding card. Before boarding, staff use a barcode reader to check the photograph
against the passenger.
Longer check-in times mean that extra facilities are required in airports. Aberdeen airport has a caf
and a bar. A shop selling newspapers and magazines exists, along with a specialist shop called Baxters
selling their own famous brands of gourmet foods, soups and preserves. The duty-free shop sells a
wide range of whiskies, many of which are not available in local shops. They appear to be competitive
in price.

Access
The airport is accessible from Aberdeen city by road and rail. Bus links are provided, with fares set at
approximately 1.30 for a single journey. Unfortunately, not all buses are designed specifically for
airport travel. Passengers with large amounts of bulky luggage find access difficult. Taxi fares are
approximately 12 per journey. Although the railway station is close to the airport, passengers still need

to take a taxi when arriving by train. A proposal has been made to investigate the launch of a new
railway station at the airport. As this will be very expensive, there are plans to start lobbying the Scottish
Executive for funding. Easier access would hopefully increase the number of people using the airport,
and Aberdeens economy would improve as a result.

Flights
Incoming flights to Aberdeen face a 10 p.m. curfew, after which no flights can land. Local residents have
protested for many years at the prospect of the curfew being extended, as they claim the noise would
be unbearable. Delayed flights may be forced to land at Glasgow and Edinburgh and passengers would
then be transferred by bus to Aberdeen. This adds to the costs for holiday companies, who may
subsequently choose not to offer holidays from Aberdeen airport for this reason. Passengers may not
like the fact they have added inconvenience, especially if they are returning from holiday and have to
go to work the next day.

Customer Satisfaction
Each year, BAA interviews 70,000 passengers to gather their customers opinions. On a rating of one
to five (one being the highest), Aberdeen Airport received an overall rating of four in 2004. Lack of
trolleys and congestion caused by large numbers of travellers were the most common complaints.

TASK: PROBLEM-SOLUTION REPORT

You are a consultant. You have been hired by the managers of Aberdeen Airport to help them solve
the problems faced by the company. Read the case and write a report analysing the problem(s) and
suggesting solutions. Structure your report into four sections with the headings below. As for the subheadings, they will have to correspond to the specific problems and solutions you identify and analyse.
1. Background and Statement of Problems/Issues
2. Analysis of Data
3. Alternative Solutions
4. Recommendations (for the short and the long terms)
NOTE: Further research on the company referred to in the case should NOT be carried out.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
1. Place your full name and section in the header on each page.
2. Number all pages.
3. Number all sections clearly, following the numbering format of the Problem-Solution Report.
4. Word-process your report in Arial font 10; line spacing: 1.5; alignment: justified.
5. Your report must be written in complete sentences, in a formal academic register.
6. Your total report should be three to four A4 pages long.
7. Save your work as a Word Document (Compatibility mode) file.
8. Give the document the following title: SURNAME NAME-Section-Case study title (Example:
MIRONESCU DANIEL-FB/EG/EAM/SPE-McCowans/Lingo24/Aberdeen Airport)
9. Submit it as an email attachment to emilia.placintar@econ.ubbcluj.ro
10. REMEMBER: A blank e-mail would appear impolite to your teacher!
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER, 21.00 hrs