Managing Flight Operations: Crew - Safety - Efficiency - Sustainability. Insights from 45 years of Leadership. (Skywards) - Softcover

Berger, Capt Andre

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9083594203 ISBN 13: 9789083594200

Publisher: Plan A, 2025

Synopsis

✈️ Skywards – Managing Flight Operations

What really keeps an airline in the air? Skywards takes you behind the scenes of commercial aviation―exploring how airlines manage pilots, cabin crew, aircraft, maintenance, ground operations, safety, and even sustainability.

Each chapter tackles a core element of airline operations. You’ll learn why crew management is the beating heart of an airline, how aircraft are chosen (and sometimes mischosen), how maintenance and flight operations interact, what happens on the ground during turnarounds, and why safety, security, and compliance are reshaped by data. The book also closes with one of aviation’s biggest challenges―sustainability―and explains how airlines are working toward the 2050 climate goals.

This isn’t just theory. The book is written by André Berger, who brings over four decades of frontline experience as captain, instructor, examiner, and senior airline manager. His career path stretched from aircraft cleaner to B737-B787 pilot examiner, from ab initio instructor in Arizona to Head of Training and Flight Operations for the TUI Group across multiple airlines In Europe and Africa. He logged more than 23,000 flight hours worldwide, helped launch new airlines in Europe and Africa, refined the Boeing 787 and 737MAX programs with airlines, managed Cargo operations during the COVID pandemic and introduced competency-based training and immersive methods into pilot development.

With that background, Skywards combines practical insights, real stories, and thought-provoking reflections. It’s written not only for aviation professionals―pilots, instructors, airline managers, cabin crew―but also for business students, aviation enthusiasts, and curious travelers who want to understand how airlines really work.

👉 You don’t have to read it cover to cover. Start with the chapters that matter most to you. But you probably don’t want to skip chapter one―it reveals what makes airline crew management so different from any other industry.

📘 Skywards is an insider’s guide to airline operations, safety, and the future of sustainable aviation.

About this title

About the Authors

The journey of André Berger started with advanced mathematics studies in the late seventies, followed by engineering, though he soon pivoted himself to pursue a career as a pilot. Pilot training in the early eighties was challenging, especially during a time when airlines in his country, Belgium at the time, were not hiring novice pilots. European pilot licenses were country-specific, EASA and standardization did not yet exist. The only large jet-operating airline he aspired to join was the national flag carrier, Sabena, but due to hiring freezes and the closure of the Civil Aviation School, he had to gain experience through diverse roles: ground handler, aircraft cleaner, mechanic, flight engineer, dispatcher, scheduler, banner-towing pilot, air taxi pilot, flight instructor, caterer, and even driving instructor, before finally being offered a first officer role on the B737-200 at Sabena.André Berger also is an experienced technical writer fluent in English and French, albeit his native language is Dutch. He specializes in creating operational manuals, guidelines, and procedures for major aviation corporations. He is a member of a distinguished global group of experts working with leading airlines, training organizations, manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, as well as simulator manufacturers and regulators. The aim is to enhance safety, training, and operational efficiency in the aviation industry.Currently based in the Middle East with his family, André Berger is consulting in pilot training, flight operations, and exploring advanced technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence in aviation. His passion lies in shaping the future of crew training by employing innovative tools to enhance the learning experience and skills of the next generation of pilots and cabin crew.

Exec. Vice President of Operations SABENA (ret)Vice President Flight Operations and Training, AIRBUS (ret)

From the Back Cover

Skywards – Managing Flight Operations pulls back the curtain on how airlines really work―revealing the decisions, challenges, and innovations that keep the airline industry moving. From managing pilots and cabin crew to choosing the right aircraft, from the high-stakes world of flight safety to the race toward net-zero aviation, this book blends insider knowledge with real-world airline leadership experience. You’ll discover how safety, efficiency, and sustainability are built into every flight―and where things can go wrong. Whether you’re a passenger, an aviation professional, student, or simply curious, Skywards will change the way you look at flying―arming you with insights that reach far beyond the airline industry.

Edition details

• Publisher: Plan A
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9083594203
• ISBN 13: 9789083594200
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 425