MSc in Air Transport Management (Executive)
Bedford, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
21 Sep 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 26,865 **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for UK and Irish students
** for overseas students | £24,625 - for home students
Key Summary
About: The Executive MSc in Air Transport Management at Cranfield develops skills in aviation management, airline strategy, airport operations and aerospace consultancy. The part-time flexible format lets you study while employed and tailor learning to your interests. Cranfield's expertise links technology and management for operational efficiency.
Career Outcomes: You earn an internationally recognized qualification supported by Cranfield University's reputation and get access to the exclusive LinkedIn Cranfield University - Air Transport Group for networking. Graduates move into roles such as airline or airport manager, regulatory advisor, air transport consultant, safety lead, and strategy and business development across aviation and aerospace sectors.
In an era of continuous advances in air transport technologies and an increasing push towards sustainable aviation, it's an exciting time to have a career within air transport management. This rapidly evolving industry requires managers with advanced and comprehensive knowledge, coupled with an in-depth understanding of its needs.
The Executive Air Transport Management MSc is designed to help you develop the skills required to enhance your career in various sectors of the air transport industry, including airlines, airport companies and authorities, civil aviation departments, air transport consultancies and aerospace companies. Its part-time, flexible format covers a range of strategic management issues and enables you to focus on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations, whilst you remain in employment.
Compulsory Modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
- Air Transport Economics and Financial Management
- Individual Case Study in Air Transport Management
- Leadership and Change in the Aviation Industry
- The Air Transport Industry Challenges and Issues
- Air Transport Strategic and Marketing Management
- Professional and Personal Development for Leaders in Aviation
Elective Modules
Two of the modules from the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
- Air Transport Environmental Planning
- Air Transport Market Analysis and Forecasting
- Airline Fleet Planning
- Airport Design
- Airport Operations
- Airport Strategic Planning
- Aviation Maintenance Operations
- Aviation Safety Management
- Contemporary Air Transport Management for Organisations
- Crisis Management and Business Continuity
- Digital Aviation Management
- Geopolitics and International Aviation Law
- Regional Aviation
To help students in finding and securing appropriate funding, we have created a funding finder where you can search for suitable sources of funding by filtering the results to suit your needs. Visit the funding finder.
Postgraduate Loan from Student Finance England
A Postgraduate Loan is now available for UK applicants to help you pay for your Master’s course.
Successful completion of this course will provide you with an internationally recognised qualification which benefits from Cranfield University's reputation and can take you to new levels in your career anywhere in the world.
All course delegates are granted access to our exclusive LinkedIn Cranfield University - Air Transport Group, which offers unrivalled networking and job opportunities.
Created to meet the demand for more flexible executive teaching in air transport management, this course is suitable for those who require a broader knowledge of air transport management strategic issues whilst remaining in full-time employment. It combines compulsory air transport core learning with an increased focus on leadership and personal development, including managerial, interpersonal, financial and analytical skills.
Accelerate your career development by focusing on subjects that match your individual interests and career aspirations.
Why this course?
The MSc Air Transport Management has been established since 1964 and has an outstanding global reputation with over 1,500 graduates to date. We recognise the challenges faced by our executive students and therefore have reduced the required number of visits to Cranfield through the introduction of several distance learning modules as well as the opportunity to join lectures "live online". This enables students from all over the world to complete this qualification whilst balancing work/life commitments.
We are very well located for students from all over the world and offer a range of library and support facilities to support your studies. This MSc programme benefits from bringing together students from a wide range of backgrounds, which significantly enhances the experience for both staff and students.
The taught programme for the Air Transport Management master's starts three times a year and comprises seven modules (five compulsory and two optional). Most modules are completed over one-week periods plus additional content delivered online (in your own time) on our Virtual Learning Environment, so you are only expected to make three trips per year to Cranfield to complete the taught modules. You can alternatively choose to follow lectures “live online”, i.e. synchronously, if you cannot attend a module in person for professional or personal reasons. Some optional modules are available for distance learning only.
Taught Module 50%, Individual case study 10%, Individual research project 40%
Individual Project
The thesis is undertaken during the final year of your studies. It provides an opportunity to study a problem in detail, and sponsoring organisations may collaborate in the choice of a suitable subject. This allows you to demonstrate the application of your learning to real-life problems.
Previous theses have included:
- Route selection strategies of the low-cost carriers: the case of Ryanair and easyJet
- Sustainable business models for airlines in Africa
- Ancillary revenues in airlines and their implication for revenue management.