Transavia (B): Looking for the next destination

This two-part case series follows the dilemmas that Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Transavia, is facing at deciding which path he should lead his team, to keep their journey as an independent airline company going strong for a longer period of time. Transavia is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM airline group, providing low-cost “point-to-point” flights to destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The company is facing stiff competition from other European low-cost airlines with larger fleets and lower cost bases, while its parent company restricts its growth potential by limiting the number of main departure hubs and by deploying a different brand strategy for its low-cost long-haul flights and local regional flights. In CASE B, after having made a decision about which software to use, Mattijs begin to look ahead, wondering how Transavia can develop its business given its current constraints. The more efficient processes and enhanced customer experience should help Transavia differentiate itself from its main competitors and stay in the race; but for how long? Based on Transavia’s strong brand name and expertise as a competent digital technological company, Mattijs wants his team to come up with realistic ideas to branch out to other services, but how can they think outside the box if their minds are on the day-to-day activities of running an airline? What can Mattijs do to inspire them? What would you do?