Ecosystem dynamics of air transport business development in the digital age

Aim. The presented study aims to analyze the dynamics of air transport business development in the era of digital transformation from the perspective of the implementation of the ecosystem paradigm as a relevant modern business model organization concept.Tasks. The authors investigate approaches to defining the concept of “ecosystem” in the field of economic relations; reveal the essence of approaches to defining the structure of the economic ecosystem; describe key trends in the development of air transport within the paradigm of the ecosystem concept.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition in various aspects to analyze scientific approaches to defining the concept of “ecosystem” in the field of economic relations and defining the structure of the economic ecosystem, and to identify trends in the development of air transport within the paradigm of the ecosystem concept.Results. The introduction of the ecosystem concept into business processes leads to changes in the attitude to the concept of “competition”. The theory of rivalry is replaced by the practice of convergence — the alignment and unification of different technologies into new types of technologies. Technological convergence changes the nature of familiar things. The authors identify and analyze three essential characteristics of the concept of “ecosystem”, the joint implementation of which makes it possible to entertain the possibility of implementing the ecosystem concept of business development in practice. The digital basis of ecosystem organization ensures its modular structure, which, in turn, determines the ease and flexibility of both connecting participants to the system and exiting it. By forming new consumer preferences, the ecosystem allows participants to work with consumers successfully. In the context of the assessed advantages of the ecosystem, the authors identify and investigate its 13 disadvantages. Seven key development trends are identified from the perspective of assessing the prospects for the ecosystemization of professional activity in the passenger air transport market.Conclusions. The tourism market is the most popular sector for ecosystem development in the air transport industry at the current stage of market development. Tourism ecosystems are a definite trend of inter-product cooperation, including those using the services of airlines, airports, and aggregator sites. The authors believe that the issues of theoretical understanding and practical analysis of the ecosystem dynamics of air transport business development in the digital age remain not fully investigated and need to be studied in detail. In further studies, the authors will analyze the organizational and legal nature of ecosystems, the essential characteristics of the structural elements of the ecosystem, the types of ecosystems in air transport, and the practice of their implementation.