- Global Itineraries
About me
I joined the University in 1988 after completing my PhD at the University of Birmingham on the topic of 'Hub and Spoke Networks and Scheduling Systems'. This research was conducted in conjunction with British Airways. I have co-ordinated the Department's Air Transport activities since 1991 and have also contributed to research on topics ranging from a bus and coach safety study to forecasting freight transport costs.
External Activities
Nigel is a fellow of AirNeth - an advisory body for Dutch aviation policymakers, he has also served as a member of the Association for European Transport and the European Policy and Research Programme Committee as well as the Aviation Economics and Forecasting Committee of the Transportation Research Board (US). He participated in an OECD (International Transport Forum) Research Round Table in Paris on the subject of Airline Competition, Systems of Airports and Intermodal Connections. He is a member of the Air Transport Research Society and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Nigel has acted as external examiner for Transport and Logistics courses at the University of Huddersfield and London Metropolitan University.
Teaching
I am the Course Leader for the MSc Air Transport Planning and Management and have also taught on the MSc Transport Planning and Management and MSc Transport and Logistics programmes. I arrange and teach on the Department's extensive portfolio of aviation short courses. I have also delivered external courses for organisations including the DfT and Loughborough University.
Research
Nigel's main research areas are in airline economics, management, scheduling, network analysis (hubs), forecasting and modelling. He has been involved in many research projects. These include studies of hub performance and developments for British Airways and the BAA, alternative network structures for DHL and economic impacts and airport charges for Ryanair. Long-term traffic forecasts have been produced and route network and airport operations simulated for the UK Department of Trade and Industry's 'VANTAGE' Project and for the new Berlin Airport. An evaluation of the Scottish Air Route Development Fund has been undertaken in conjunction with Scott Wilson for Scottish Enterprise. Developments in the budget airline sector were studied for the English Tourism Council and the effects of airline alliances on airports for Hochtief. Nigel has also participated in a number of European Commission funded studies on air transport in remote regions of Europe, airline fares and hub competition.
Nigel has supervised a number of PhD students, currently including Frances Kremarik who is researching the North Atlantic Market and Jenni Fernando, considering Airport Marketing and Route Development.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.