PartnerRoundNordwind Airlines: the vanishing margin
A European short-haul carrier is flying more passengers than ever and making less money than ever. Find out why.
30 minutesInterviewer-ledAviation
The prompt
This is what the interviewer will open with.
Our client is Nordwind Airlines, a short-haul carrier operating out of northern Europe. Over the past three years passenger numbers have grown 18%, but operating profit has fallen by roughly 40%. The CEO wants to understand what is driving this and what to do about it. How would you approach the problem?
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Go ProHow to get the most from this case
Set a timer and treat it as real. Do not pause to look things up.
Take thirty seconds before your structure, and say you are doing it. Silence reads as paralysis; announced silence reads as rigour.
Ask for specific data rather than “what do you have?”: the interviewer will push back on the vague version, exactly as a real one would.
Finish with a proper synthesis: recommendation first, then two or three supports, then risks and the next step.
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