SWOT ANALYSIS PART III

Running head: SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths of your organization 1

SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths of your organization 8

SWOT ANALYSIS PART II

Excelsior College

Virgin Atlantic SWOT Analysis

There are many challenges that the transport and tourism sector has faced since the onset of the pandemic putting all airlines on the verge of collapsing. The restriction of movements, the ban of international and local flights has highly affected the airline industry. According to a recent Forbes report, the airline industry has been the most affected company by the pandemic. According to the report, over 500 airline companies collapsed, while others reported bankruptcy issues (Baxter, 2019). The France has experienced a loss of 147 245 million dollars between January and October 2020. These effects were realized following the ban on international travel. The France suffered significantly from the travel ban, which prohibited everyone traveling from UK, China, Ireland, Brazil, or Iran to France. The loss has been extensive in some countries such as U.S and Germany, which rely on international travel. The analysis of the challenges of the pandemic on transport and tourism industry has revealed that in France, over 20 airlines have been closed. Virgin Atlantic has equally experienced the challenges affecting the airline industry. However, Virgin Atlantic has continued to remain afloat and vibrant in the market following its strengths and opportunities (Barros & Couto, 20 I 3). The strengths of Virgin Atlantic that have made it remained afloat include brand recognition, diversification, technological innovation, customer service, and excellent distribution networks. The company has also succeeded following its efforts to hire experienced personnel and use environmentally friendly products.

The following are the discussions of the strengths of Virgin Atlantic.

Strengths of Virgin Atlantic

The strengths of Virgin Atlanta are its technological innovation, customer service, brand recognition, and good distribution network. Virgin Atlanta is known for hiring professionals with a high level of expertise to ensure that its mission of meeting its customer needs is completed. In 2005, the company was awarded for excellent customer service and for providing its employees ' welfare (Clark & Earth, 2008). The company currently has more than 200 planes globally, and it operates in more than 20 countries. This makes the company ' s brand to be famous in many parts of the globe. The company enjoys a large customer segment, with Asians, Europeans, Americans, and Europeans forming its main destination centers.

With the comp any's experience in the market, it has strength for future expansion, social media networks, and the use of environmentally friendly services materials. After a series of transformations, Virgin Atlanta started as a small airline until it emerged as one of the leading airlines globally. The company has continued to improve its products to match the current market demands despite the stiff competition (Clark & Earth, 2008). The strengths of Virgin Atlantic can be analyzed in two groups. They include brand recognition and technological innovations.

Brand Recognition

Virgin Atlantic operates in over 50 countries. The company has continued to enjoy customer loyalty due to its excellent service. The company has been in operation for more than 50 years. Reports indicate that the company has offered its services to over 50 million people globally. The company currently enjoys its presence in European, American, and Asian countries. The company has more than 20000 workers, and it has more than 2 billion in its stock (Christy, 2007). Some of the activities that have made the company enjoy customer loyalty include excellent customer service, reduced costs, few accident cases, hiring highly trained personnel, and strict adherence to travel rules and regulations. The company has also been very active through corporate social responsibilities. The company uses environmentally friendly materials; it also participates in community projects and the educating and training of skilled and talented children in various capacities.

In 20 I 0, Virgin Atlantic was recognized by Forbes as a center of excellence following its excellent customer services. From the report, the company enjoys good reviews from its customers, and it is also active in responding to customer concerns through its social media platforms. The company is also famous for its good and well structure compensation philosophy and employee welfare services. According to the survey conducted by Forbes in 2015 on employee fulfillment in their work in the company, more than 80 percent reported having accomplished in their work (Christy, 2007). The report also revealed that Virgin Atlantic is one of the companies that many people are willing to work for currently. Virgin Atlantic has experienced the lowest turnover over the last decade. Moreover, the company has repeatedly appeared in the Fortune 500 Global companies making it have strong recognition.

Technological innovation

The previous analysis of the impacts of technological innovation on the company’s survival revealed that technology is the backbone of the company' s operations. The report showed that Virgin Atlantic has fully automated its operations, making it develop a competitive edge over its rivals. The company uses technology to coordinate all its activities. Some of the activities coordinated through technology include online booking, online payment, and online communication services. The company has succeeded in creating a website where its customers can access all its benefits. The booking service and payment services and inquiry services are currently done through the company's website. The company also has active social media platforms that help it interact with its customers.

Virgin Atlantic controls the highest online customers than any other airline company in the U.S. In the U.S, over 80 percent of the population have access to the internet and own electronic gadgets that can access the internet. Similarly, the U.N report showed that more than 40 percent of the world ' s population is connected to the internet (Christy, 2007). The extensive use of the internet and online services has presented an opportunity for Virgin Atlantic to invest in technology and attract online customers.

In conclusion, we’ve identified technological innovation and brand recognition as the major strengths that have enabled Virgin Atlantic to survive adverse challenges imposed by the pandemic to the airline industry. Furthermore, it has indicated that Virgin Atlantic enjoys customer loyalty in many countries where it offers its services due to its excellent

customer services and corporate social responsibility.

References

Barros, C. P., & Couto, E. (2013). Productivity analysis of European airlines, 2000-2011.  Journal of Air Transport Management, 31, 11-13.

Baxter, G. (2019). Capturing and Delivering Value in the Trans-Atlantic Air Travel Market: The Case of the Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways Strategic Joint Venture. MAD-Magazine of Aviation Development, 7(1), 17-37.

Christy, G. (2007). Case study: Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair. In Management and organizational behavior (pp. 34-36). Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Clark, N. I. C. O. L. A., & Earth, D. (2008). Virgin Atlantic Plans a Biofuel Flight. The New York Times, 15.