By Prosper Makene

NATIONAL Institute of Transport (NIT) has made tremendous steps in running four International Air Transport Association (IATA) courses and by October this year, the Institute will officially start offering the programmes. The four IATA courses will be offered at NIT’s main campus in Mabibo Dar es Salaam, according to the Institute’s IATA Coordinator Zablone Makene said.

Mr Makene named the four courses that will be taught at NIT including Airline Marketing, Airline Customer Service, Airport Operations Fundamentals as well as global distribution systems fares and ticketing-Amadeus. “We have been accredited to offer the courses after meeting the standards. The IATA courses that will commence at NIT will provide opportunities for Tanzanians seeking to study these courses here at an affordable cost,” he said.

Mr Makene added: “The Institute is inviting interested and qualified applicants to pursue the courses which shall be conducted at the Institute’s main campus (Mabibo campus) in Dar es Salaam.” Narrating further on the Airport Operations Fundamentals course, the Coordinator said: “However, in these challenging times, and with emerging competition from other airports and other modes of transportation, it is of the utmost importance that airports recruit and provide employees and managers with the best available knowledge and skills.”

Mr Makene further said: “This course was prepared to provide a trainee with solid overview of the airport operations field and with tools to apply ones knowledge and skills to the airport. It is designed to be useful not only for personal benefit but also to help a trainee make better decisions for the organization.

“Upon completing Airport Operations Fundamentals course, a trainee will have the skills to comprehend the history of aviation and apprehend the role airports play in the economy, discover the various airport customers and partners, gain knowledge about the multiple operational and business functions of airports, acquire the tools to apply in one’s knowledge and skills to a respective airport environment,” he said.

He noted: “The Airport Operations Fundamentals course is recommended for recently appointed airport staff, travel industry staff and newcomers to the industry.”

On Airline Marketing, the IATA Coordinator said that a trainee will stay ahead of the competition by understanding and applying sound marketing principles.

“Airline marketing course will provide a learner with an overview of the airline marketing principles so that he or she can comfortably create a marketing plan and execute it accordingly,” he said. “The trainee will cover the three main steps, analysing, planning and execution as well as the main marketing tools used at each step, in order to develop a successful marketing plan.”

Makene underscored that upon completing the Airline Marketing course; a trainee will have the skills to interpret and understand customers’ needs, segment the targeted markets, exceed customers’ expectations with product innovation, product quality and efficient distribution as well as develop creative and cost-effective marketing strategies.

“Airline Marketing course is recommended for recently appointed marketing managers, sales managers and general sales agents, marketing officers and market coordinators as well as customer service staff,” he said.

With regards to the Airline Customer Service course, the programme will provide outstanding customer service with the winning combination of knowledge, skills, and attitude. Frontline airline customer service professionals, such as ticket reservation staff, check-in and gate agents, and cabin crew, work in one of the most dynamic industries.

With the Airline Customer Service course, the trainees will examine how the Internet, social media and new technologies are changing airline customer service. They will also discuss several examples of how airlines are keeping up with these changes to meet customer needs and stay competitive,” the IATA Coordinator disclosed.

He underscored that upon completing the Airline Customer Service course, a learner will have the skills to list and describes techniques of effective communication and customer contact, summarize and set out the characteristics of the various social styles and cultural differences of airline customers as well as describing new trends in customer service.

“The Airline Customer Service course is recommended for Ticket office, reservations, check-in, traffic, operations, baggage service and information desk staff, Cargo reservations and receiving staff, Public relations and sales support personnel and flight attendants,” he said.

On Global Distribution System Fares and Ticketing – AMADEUS, Makene reveals: “This course will teach a trainee how to price journeys for all types of fares using the Amadeus Global Distribution Systems (GDS).”

“Upon completing Global Distribution System Fares and Ticketing – AMADEUS course, a trainee will have the skills to analyze GDS displays relevant to mileage system pricing, Identify and price different journey types, read, interpret, and apply mileage and routing fare rules and issue tickets,” he said.

He concludes: “Global Distribution System Fares and Ticketing – AMADEUS is recommended for Airline fares desk agents, Travel agents, Airline ticket agents, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and call center agents.”

The Writer works with communications department at NIT