Dissertation Proposal Form
SECTION A: REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Name: Click or tap here to enter text.
Email: Click or tap here to enter text.
Program (DBA; MBA, BBA):
Specialization:
Promoter:
Proposed Dissertation Defense Cohort (Choose One)
☐January 2020 ☐May 2020 ☐ June 2020 ☐September 2020 ☐January 2021
SECTION B: DISSERTATION OUTLINE
Type below each topic
I. Proposed Dissertation Title: The title (tentative) should be precise to allow the reader to
comprehend the subject matter of the work.
The African Airline Industry in times of Covid-19: Losses and Opportunities
II. Research Question or Hypothesis: State clearly what your research interest is. Define
your research question/hypothesis and the main objectives of your research (100 words).
The main research objective of this dissertation is to find out if the most powerful countries in Africa
(such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt) could take advantage of the fact that
major international airlines are taking a step back from internal African flights, due to Covid-19
economic crisis. The main hypothesis is that these countries (and their national airlines) could take
this situation as an opportunity to start operating their own flights from within, with no help from the
outside world, and even creating a “pan African” airline.
General Objective and Research Question: To find out if COVID-19 could be an opportunity for the
future of African Airline Industry and internal tourism. Is there a future in which is possible to travel
from any African country to another without having to use a European or middle eastern airline?
Specific objectives
1. To analyze how Covid-19 economic crisis is impacting the African operations of the main players
of the airline industry.
2. To perform an African wide diagnosis to understand cu
ent economic landscape, social
ackground, and the tourism industry.
3. To explain the problematic that is cu
ently happening when it comes to travelling from northern
Africa to Southern Africa.
4. To identify opportunities within the main diagnosis, and to examine the investment and returns
these could
ing to the African countries involved.
5. To provide recommendations on how to proceed to capitalize the identified opportunities.
This form must be approved for a candidate to register for the dissertation. It is the student’s
esponsibility to find a Faculty Promoter with whom to complete this form. It is also incumbent upon the
student to make sure that all academic and administrative criteria have been met. The form must be
completed, signed by the respective parties, and submitted to the Dissertation Coordinator for approval.
Please type on this form. Handwritten forms will not be accepted.
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III. Review of Literature/Background: Make a synthesis of the contributions made in your
esearch field by accredited scholars. Describe how your intended research will
complement and expand on the cu
ent literature, and what contributions you intend to
make to the existing knowledge (500 words).
The main research area will be on how internal flights between African countries have been
during the past years, and how much involvement there was from other international
companies like Qatar Airways, Emirates Airways and Air France, to name a few, and how
many flights were made between African airlines to see how much opportunities there are
if all non-African airlines. I plan on analyzing how many flights have to make a stop outside
the continent and come back in everyday in order for tourists or business men to a
ive from
one African country to another. I plan on researching tourism forecasting a
ivals and
departures when it comes the main African destinations in order to see the evolution over
the past years and how much opportunities it could give to new airlines or to cu
ent African
airlines if they invest more.
Studies about how African tourism is the second fastest growing in the world.
Almost 70 million tourists visited Africa in 2018 and that was a 7% rise from the previous
year (CAPA, XXXXXXXXXXThe increased investments opportunities that people are starting to
ealize are what are encouraging most of the tourists in the continent. Countries like South
Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Morocco have taken huge initiatives to create conferences and
exhibitions that are creating big tourism spikes. Another example of how tourism and
usiness is improving in the continent is from Ethiopia which is becoming the new transport
hub of eastern Africa and the fastest travel country in the continent and is even starting to
think of overtaking Dubai as the international Gateway to Africa. Morocco is actually the
African country who is considered the gateway to Africa and the country with most tourists
in the continent because of its geographic position that allow the country to be a gateway to
Africa from Europe and the west.
Studies about how international airlines are monopolizing African flights and how
many African big airlines exist today and how much room do they have to grow.
The only African airline with over 100 aircrafts (and also happens to be the leading airline
in the continent) is Ethiopian Airlines. Then comes Egypt Air, a big airline but it operates
more Asian destinations. After comes South African Air followed by Royal Air Maroc, which
is actually the oldest and largest African airline with 97 destinations with a concentration on
European destination and French speaking African countries. When it comes to the top 10
airlines in Africa, 4 of them are non-African airlines and they are Emirates, Air France,
Saudia and British Airways. Lastly, a very important fact is that 40% of people who travel in
Africa travel with non-African Airlines which is a huge problem that could end up being an
opportunity now that most of those airlines have taken a step back with the cu
ent pandemic
(Pulse Nigeria, 2020).
I will also review academic literature related to tourism development and promotion
(both in general and in Africa), such as the works of Oumnia Boutaleb.
IV. Research Methodology: Clearly indicate the methods and techniques which you are
planning to use to gather information and investigate the identified problem.
To address the mentioned topic, the proposed methodology will have a highly quantitative
component within the research.
As a first methodological phase, it will be necessary to make a complete context about the
Airline industry in Africa emphasizing on the big African and international companies and
exploring the possibility of creating a common African airline. Of course, this context must
incorporate a robust space to talk about the tourism sector, the economies and security
problems the African continent encounters.
Second, by checking out global and industry reports, the thesis will revolve around COVID-
19 and how it impacted African tourism in general but will be focused more on the airline
industry.
As primary research, I will conduct a survey with businessmen and tourist who have been
in Africa and who generally travel in the continent, in order to explore the perception of
cu
ent travelers and potential customers of new initiatives. I will interview 2 experts (to be
determined) in African tourism and airline industry to complete the diagnose and explore
ways to materialize opportunities.
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Overall, an analytical exercise will be ca
ied out to backup with evidence conclusions and
proposed recommendations.
V. Selected Bibliography: Please indicate a representative list of the main bibliographical
sources you intend to utilize for your dissertation (no more than 20). Please provide full
citations.
□ Boutaleb, O XXXXXXXXXXFace au Coronavirus, l’Afrique se prépare au pire. Rabat: Policy Center for
the New South.
□ “Africa Aviation Outlook 2020: Performance Lags, Pending Integration.” CAPA - Centre for
Aviation, centreforaviation.com/analysis/airline-leade
africa-aviation-outlook-2020-performance-
lags-pending-integration-504774.
□ “Here Are the 10 Largest Airlines in Africa.” Pulse Nigeria, 2 July 2020,
www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/here-are-the-10-largest-airlines-in-africa/lf60d8m. Accessed 13
Sept. 2020.
□ Ciku Kimeria. “Africa’s Tourism Industry Is Second Fastest Growing in World.” Quartz Africa,
Quartz, 28 Sept. 2019, qz.com/africa/1717902/africas-tourism-industry-is-second-fastest-growing-
in-world/.
□ “Tourism in Africa Is Slowly Coming of Age.” Africa Renewal, 15 Aug. 2012,
www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/august-2012/tourism-africa-slowly-coming-age. Accessed 13
Sept. 2020.
□ “COVID-19 a ‘disaster’ for Africa’s Growing Tourism Industry.” Euronews, 21 July 2020,
www.euronews.com/2020/07/21/africa-s-tourism-industry-ready-for-recovery-euronews-debate.
Accessed 13 Sept. 2020.
□ “Impact of COVID-19 on African Aviation and Economies Is Worsening.” Www.Iata.Org,
www.iata.org/en/pressroom/p
XXXXXXXXXX/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2020.
□ Valladao, A XXXXXXXXXXL’aeronautique au Maroc. Rabat: Policy Center for the New South.
I. Research and Writing Timeline: Indicate your expected research timetable: starting date,
esearch time, data analysis time, writing time, editing time, date of first draft submission,
expected defense time. You may use a Gantt chart.
□ No. Activities Days Start Date End Date Responsibilities
1 Research for Proposal XXXXXXXXXX2020
2 Preparation of proposal
form
XXXXXXXXXX2020
3 Review of proposal
form
XXXXXXXXXX2020
4 Editing proposal form XXXXXXXXXX2020
5 Registration of Topic XXXXXXXXXX2020
6 Approval of Topic XXXXXXXXXX.2020
7 Research process XXXXXXXXXX.2020
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8 Introduction draft XXXXXXXXXX2020
9 Draft XXXXXXXXXX11.2020
10 Dissertation draft review XXXXXXXXXX2020
11 Editing dissertation draft XXXXXXXXXX2020
12 First draft submission
and review
XXXXXXXXXX2020
13 Edit final draft XXXXXXXXXX2020
14 Send the final version XXXXXXXXXX2020
15 Review final version XXXXXXXXXX2020
16 Edit final version XXXXXXXXXX2020
17 Final version
submission.
XXXXXXXXXX2020
18 Defense registration XXXXXXXXXX2020
VII. Ethics: How does your research relate to the ethical aspects of your subject matter?
This research involves ethical aspects as it attempts to improve a whole continents tourism sector
and more specifically the airline industry of the continent which employs hundreds of thousands of
Africans which makes up for millions of people who are surviving or making a living through tourism.
Promoting internal growth in this sector is maybe the only solution the continent has to help get back
to normal after all this pandemic has done, where hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs.
VIII. Signature of Student:
Click or tap here to enter text.
Signature Date
SECTION C: APPROVALS
Role Name Signature Date
Promoter
Dissertation
Coordinato
Academic
Coordinator
(for your respective
program)
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The grade for the entire dissertation project is a composite grade allocated by the defense panel and
takes three areas into consideration:
• Form (20%): the structural organization of the Dissertation document (grammar and vocabulary;
writing and reporting; technology; style)
• Content (60%): the academic accuracy and value of the project (executive summary; research
question & objectives; background; main body; conclusions)
• Defense (20%): the manner and methods used (visuals; content; questions & answers)
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Section A: Registration Information
Section B: Dissertation Outline
Section C: Approvals
EUDRES - EU RESEARCH XXXXXXXXXXFinal Assessment XXXXXXXXXXTask
ief & ru
ics
Instructions
▪ This assignment consists of writing a proposal for your own research project.
▪ You must use the “Dissertation Proposal Form” template, placing your writings in every appropriate section.
▪ Save your document with the filename: FINAL_xxxxxxx (where xxxxxxx is your last name).
Task
Your proposal must include the following elements in each co
esponding section of the proposal form:
II. Research Aim (10%)
Explain the main aim of your research in a short paragraph (max 100 words)
Research Question (10%)
A research question must be included. The research question is the core element of the research project. It must cover the complexity of the
esearch topic (max 50 words)
Research Hypothesis (10%)
A research hypothesis is a potential explanation to the research question, or a potential model to be tested (in other words, what you imagine, your
guess,