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McKinsey style · Profitability · Medium

Nordwind Airlines: the vanishing margin

Steps
8
Maths
3
Exhibits
4
Minutes
~20

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The interviewer
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?

What you are scored on

  • Problem understanding1 step
  • Structure & MECE1 step
  • Quantitative accuracy3 steps
  • Exhibit interpretation1 step
  • Business judgement1 step
  • Synthesis & recommendation1 step

How it runs

  1. 1One question at a timeClarify, structure, run the numbers from the exhibits, then recommend, as the interviewer would take you through it.
  2. 2Feedback on every answerEach step is marked straight away, with coaching and the interviewer's next words, so you never lose the thread.
  3. 3A scored debriefYour result across seven skills, the drill that fixes the weakest one, and the full answer key.

Read before you start

Nordwind Airlines: the vanishing margin: guided profitability case · PartnerRound