Network Planning

Network Planning interview prep.

The library content Coach uses to tailor reports for this role. Generated reports personalise this against the candidate's CV + the firm's context.

Behavioural questions to expect

  1. Walk me through your background + your path into airline network planning.
  2. Tell me about a route, schedule, or fleet decision you've owned end-to-end.
  3. Why airline network planning vs shipper / consulting / pure RM?
  4. Why this carrier type - legacy hub / low-cost / ULCC / long-haul JV?
  5. Why the firm?
  6. What's your read on our network + hub structure + recent moves?
  7. Tell me what you understand about our alliance + JV + slot posture.
  8. Walk me through how you'd evaluate launching a new route.

Technical concepts to master

  • Network design fundamentals - hub vs P2P + connectivity

    Hub-and-spoke vs point-to-point · Banking + connectivity · MCT (Minimum Connect Time) · Gauge vs frequency trade-off · Stage length + CASM curve

  • Fleet assignment + tail routing

    Fleet Assignment Model (FAM) · Tail routing + utilization · Family commonality · Swap economics + fleet flexibility · Schedule planning horizons

  • Alliance + JV + codeshare economics

    Global alliances · Joint Venture (JV) + metal-neutral · Antitrust immunity (ATI) · Codeshare types · Interline + bilateral pricing

  • Share + demand models - QSI + S-curve + data sources

    QSI (Quality of Service Index) · S-curve · MIDT (Marketing Information Data Tapes) · DDS (Demand Data Service) / DB1B · Stimulation vs market share

Practical drills

  • A competitor flies 2x daily on a 2000-mile O&D market with 180-seat narrowbody. Total O&D demand is 600 passengers per day each way; competitor captures ~60% (~360/day) at avg fare $250 one-way. You're considering launching 2x daily, 180 seats. Walk through your share + revenue + profitability estimate. Assume CASM at 2000 mi is 10 cents.
  • A medium hub has 6 banks per day; gate + ramp peak utilization is binding at 95%, causing taxi delays + misconnects. Options: (A) de-bank to a continuous schedule reducing peaks; (B) re-bank to 5 stronger banks; (C) hold + add gates ($150M capex). How would you frame the analysis + what's your initial recommendation?
  • A ULCC announces 4x daily new service on one of your top 10 hub-to-hub trunk routes, where you currently fly 6x daily with 160-seat gauge at avg $220 fare. They'll fly 200-seat gauge at $99 base. Walk through how you'd analyze + recommend a response.

Smart-question anchors

  • Network planning team org - centralized strategic vs regional / hub-embedded
  • Tooling + data maturity - in-house solver vs Sabre AirVision / NetLine / PROS; MIDT + DDS + internal data integration
  • Hub + network model - hub-and-spoke vs point-to-point vs JV-driven long-haul + recent shifts
  • Alliance + JV roadmap - metal-neutral expansion, ATI applications, partner integration depth
  • Slot portfolio + strategy - L3 airports, recent slot trades, season-over-season discipline

Sourced from

IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines + IATA Slot Conferences + IATA data products (MIDT, DDS) · US DOT BTS T-100 + DB1B Origin & Destination Survey · CAPA - Centre for Aviation + Cirium + Routes Online + The Air Current · Belobaba, Odoni + Barnhart - The Global Airline Industry (MIT) · DOT + EU Antitrust Immunity filings + ICAO bilateral / open-skies registry

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