Econ - demand for air transport

[hugoboss91]

Hi guys..jus wanted to ask yu guys if this made sense..Im doin my EE in Eco on Airlines in my city

Suggested rq- How The Demand For Air Transport to Kisumu during Summer has Increased over the last 5 years..?

KIsumu is the name of my city...Small Town..only local flight..atm 5 differentairlines operating..please suggest modifications or better versions of the RQ..we have to hand in 1 st proposals by monday..if you have any questions or suggestions for me to change the concept from Demand to something else..Im most willing to hear from you..

[Vvi]

The airline idea is good, as the IB encourages small scale EE's rather than countrywide ones. If you consider only one specific route, such as Kisumu-Nairobi, it will be narrow enough.

I think your question would be more efficient if you incorporated a specific economic concept in there. Right now, your question is vey narrative. You would end up just recounting lots of reasons and analysing nothing. The IB guide also says that "[Economics EE's] should be related to economic information that is no more than three years old". So your 5 year timespan is not good in that respect.

If you want to continue with the direction you're heading in, I suggest thinking about what factors have prompted the increase in flights to Kisumu. Are there more companies setting up there, and people are moving out there in droves? Has tourism in Kisumu increased as a result of more hotels/more natural parks being set up? Then formulate a question like "To what extent has increased tourism in the area prompted a higher demand for local airline flights from Nairobi to Kisumu in Kenya?" You can then evaluate substitutes (such as cars/train/buses, and whether or not people use them more to go to Kisumu than they use planes).

Or you could just add an economic concept into your question. E.g "To what extent is the local airline industry in Kisumu an example of perfect competition?" You would then consider not only arguments for the industry being perfect, but also evaluate whether other types of industry apply to it more (like oligopolies/monopolistic competition). You would consider barriers to entry as one of the main criteria for that.

Have you thought about how you will get your information for the EE? Surveys, company records, textbooks, interviews, company reports, government statistics? In order to fulfill Criterion C of the Economics specific assessment criteria, you must have relevant sources (below is the excerpt from the guide).

"At the very least, there should be some evidence that appropriate economic sources have been consulted. Wherever possible, primary sources should be used, with secondary sources as evidential support. Statistical data collected from books or the Internet (for example, from national statistical agencies, the IMF, the ILO, the World Bank, the WTO) may be very valuable and can be effectively used to answer the

question.

If surveys are carried out, the questions must reflect appropriate and sensible economic analysis. For example, any conclusions about the elasticity of demand for a good would be highly suspect if a survey asked about the hypothetical change in a quantity demanded based on a hypothetical change in price."

Hope that helps somewhat. If you need more examples of Economics EE questions, read them in the EE guide.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Vvi

[hugoboss91]

Vvi..I cannot thank you enough..trust me..you've shown me alot of what i had not thought..Kisumu flights only come in from Nairobi so i guess it shows..but still i agree with you that i must mention and be specific..the 5 year was just a random suggestion..i think i will make it 3 year..2007 being th yelection year..2008 post wlection effects and pre obama..and 2009 being obamas time..About getting my information I talked to Airline company manager who have agreed and are willing to help with interviews and data from their record..one important factor i was looking at was Obama.The village in which his dad was born is about an hour away..so that might be be a reasson i can have in my evaluation.the suggestions you have given me are very..and i mean very helpful..trust me once done with my EE you would be 1 of the people I would thank alot..please if you have an email adrress and you can give it to me..it would be helpful..if you are fine with ibsurvival..no problemm..thanx again..