Bio

Dr Rico Merkert is Senior Lecturer in Aviation Management and Logistics. Rico graduated in Business Administration from Berlin University of Technology in 2002. Whilst being a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) at the University of Leeds he undertook and received a PhD in transport economics. His PhD and also more recent studies were heavily influenced by a research visit at Hass Business School and various meetings with Nobel Prize winner Professor Oliver Williamson. Rico has taught at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, the University of Potsdam, the Leeds University Business School and also Cranfield University, where he was a Lecturer in Air Transport Economics and Management and Head of the Centre for Air Transport in Remoter Regions, before joining ITLS/The University of Sydney Business School in March 2012. He has been involved in a number of projects on transport economics, policy and management (including strategy, organisation and finance, M&A) for a range of clients such as the European Commission, Amadeus IT Group and a number of major airlines. Rico has worked in the automotive industry, and has researched both the aviation and the rail transport sector for more than nine years (including short research fellowships in the USA, Sweden and Australia). Most of his recent projects focused on contractual analysis of the transport value chain as well as benchmarking and productivity/cost efficiency analysis of airlines and airports. Rico is very much involved in research on airline and airport management in peripherial areas and as such since June 2011 also an Associate at Northpoint Aviation Services. In addition to passenger services, he is primarly interested in airline distribution networks and aviation logistics in these regions. Rico has a number of articles published in the top refereed journals (including Transportation Research Part A and Journal of Transport Economics and Policy). In addition to his very active research program, he is involved in planning and teaching MSc and CPD courses.

Newsroom articles

• A view on: high-speed rail in Australia 10 May 2013

  The Conversation

  The Conversation has interviewed Dr Rico Merkert, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney Business School, on the viability of high-speed rail in Australia.

• In Conversation: High Speed Rail 09 May 2013

  World News Australia

  Dr Rico Merkert talks about the viability of the proposed high speed rail network in Australia.

• How Airlines compete and collaborate with HSR across the world 22 Apr 2013

  Sky Business News

  Senior Lecturer Rico Merkert has been interviewed by the Business Class program on Sky News on the topic of airline competition.

• Slow to arrive, but will high speed rail be worth the wait? 12 Apr 2013

  The Conversation

  Senior Lecturer Rico Merkert from the ITLS has been interviewed on the topic of a proposed high speed rail link for the east coast of Australia

• Is high speed rail in Australia value for money? 12 Apr 2013

  The Conversation

  The Conversation website has published an article by Dr Merkert, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney Business School, on the viability of the high speed rail project.

See all Newsroom items for Rico Merkert

• Google Scholar profile 
• SSRN profile 

Research Expertise

Recent Units Taught

• TPTM6160 Aviation Management and Logistics

  2012: Semester 2,

• TPTM6440 International Freight Transportation

  2013: Summer School,