Discuss the type of flight schedule disruptions that can occur in the air transport industry.

BRIEF: Background Disruptions in airline flight schedules have a major impact on customer service standards. Large scale disruptions in flight schedules such as those caused by the 2010 eruptions of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull or the opening of T5 in 2008 can last for more than a week and have a global impact on customer service standards. Other events such as aircraft technical difficulties or adverse weather may be more localised and not on the same scale, but they do create considerable problems for the industry and its customers; passengers and the shippers of cargo. Part A – Flight schedule disruptions (2,000 words) In relation to your work placement organisation or an organisation of your choice(AMERICAN AIRLINES); 1. Analyse the nature of the organisation (American Airlines) and how it interacts with customers. 2. Discuss the type of flight schedule disruptions that can occur in the air transport industry. 3. Explain how flight schedule disruptions may impact on your organisation (American Airlines). 4. Explain how flight schedule disruptions may impact on their customers 5. Discuss how flight schedule disruptions might impact on their relationship with customers. Part B – Service recovery plans (2,000 words) In relation to flight schedule disruptions and the organisation (American Airlines) used in Part A; 6. Analyse their service recovery plans or indicate what factors you would expect their service recovery plans to include. 7. Reflect on how their service recovery plans might be improved or altered to give more emphasis to the needs of customers without involving the organisation in significant extra cost. Provide statistical data to support your findings. Your report must be Harvard referenced. Assessment will be through a research report exploring an issue affecting customer needs. (100%) 4,000 words. The report must be Harvard Referenced.