Ghana Graduates Conference

A Mobile Business Concept for Nigerian Airline Operators

Purpose

Airline flight operations in most developing countries, like Nigeria, is carried out in piece-meal fashion either manually through airline operators and third party travelling agents or electronically through the operators universal resource locator (URL) address. Both methods are cost prohibitive, time consuming and tedious leading to inefficiency. This work presents a conceptual framework of mobile business to consumer (MB2C) business model, as a one stop mobile solution that combines these transactions on a single platform using the same channel of communication.

Design/methodology

The proposed conceptual framework is based on three-layer, client/Proxy/Server mobile computing model tailored around Model-View-Controller software model. The proxy layer serves as the mobility-aware middle layer orchestrating interaction between multiple clients and the server thereby providing real-time self service support mobile solution for airline operators in most developing countries like Nigeria and Ghana as an avenue to improve efficiency, reduce operation costs, improve revenue generation and provide value-added customer service for airline passengers.

Findings/Results/Observations

The framework when implemented will be a value-added improvement over Haziq et al. (2008); Mohammed et al. (2009), Oyelade et al., (2009), Oloyede and Adeyemo, (2006); Sarisakal and Aydin, (2005) where different prototype mobile systems were developed to provide a convenient means of making airline reservation and payment easier for flight passengers using different platforms on a separate channel of communication. This results in extra efforts and costs on passengers as well as extra service operational costs on the part of airline operator. Our paradigm, therefore, is a one stop solution that combines these two transactions on a single platform using the same channel of communication.

Research implications

The framework is a value-driven paradigm shift from current manual business and electronic business model to mobile business to consumer (MB2C) model through the development of an integrated mobile business solution for airline operators in sub–Sahara Africa.

Practical and Policy implications

The implementation of the framework will provide the following managerial and economic implications: The provision of competitive financial advantage through increase income with ease of new service deployment; Generation of revenue by driving repeat business and customer loyalty-since customer enjoy improved value for consumed flight services ;Reduce operation costs by enhancing service levels through simplified tasks; Ease back-office administration by improving data accuracy and reduction manual processes; The delivery of custom real-time mobile web-based reporting solution, Total Payment Options: Visa, E-Tranzact, Inters witch.

Three Learning Points for Ghana and Africa

The study shows that mobile business technology is matured for airline operators in developing countries as an avenue to improve efficiency, reduce operation costs, improved revenue generation and provision of value-added customer service for airline passengers. “

Keywords: Mobile Business, Mobile Phone, Payments, Airline Reservation, WAP

Profile: O.M.Olaniyi currently lectures at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. He earned his BTech and MSc in Computer Engineering and Electronics and Computer Engineering from the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, and Lagos State University, Lagos State, Nigeria, in 2005 and 2009, respectively. His research interests are in the areas of intelligent control systems and mobile communications.