Airlines typically outsource a very broad range of business processes. On the aircraft and at the airport, maintenance of the aircraft itself, baggage and ground handling and in-flight catering may not be provided or performed by the airline. Some or all of the reservation, ticketing and aircraft departure control systems will be provided or maintained by service providers on behalf
of the airline. And, in common with other industry sectors, elements of IT and business functions such as finance and accounting or payroll may have been outsourced to a third party.
So what factors have encouraged this wide-ranging level of outsourcing in the airline industry?
