Team

Swelbar is known to many in the airline, airport, and associated industries and is often referenced by many as an analytically supported voice on numerous issues. For a majority of Swelbar’s time in the industry, Albert Zhong has played an important, if not pivotal, role in the opinions espoused. The Swelbar-Zhong relationship may be new to many. However, you have been seeing and listening to their collaboration for years.

In January 2021, Swelbar joined McKinsey & Company, Inc. as an external advisor to its Transport, Logistics and Infrastructure Practice. He is a Research Engineer at MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation and also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc.

Swelbar has spent 40 years in the consulting world with a focus on network strategies, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, airline labor cost restructuring, and air service development on behalf of airports and communities. In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports of all sizes, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups.

Swelbar has a passion for small community air service and the issues confronting this sub-sector of the industry. In response to those issues, he formed the Regional Air Service Alliance to find solutions to the structural headwinds facing the sector in March 2014. In December of 2016, Swelbar was appointed to U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Working Group on Improving Air Service to Small Communities.

Swelbar is a much sought-after speaker and has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport. Swelbar is widely quoted in the financial and mainstream press on issues impacting air transport. Swelbar is published in the Journal of Air Transport Management and is a contributing author in a second edition textbook released in 2015 titled: The Airline Industry published by Wiley Press.

Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.

Albert Zhong may be a new name for many of you. However, you have seen his work for more than 20 years. Zhong has worked with William Swelbar at multiple firms since 1997. With rare exception, there is little analysis presented, or used, by Swelbar that Zhong has not had a significant role in performing.

Zhong began his academic training at Renmin University of China in Beijing in 1986. He completed his undergraduate in economics at the University of the District of Columbia. Zhong then earned an MBA in finance from The George Washington University. Zhong first went to work with GKMG Consulting in 1997 after earning his MBA. It is at GKMG where Zhong and Swelbar first began working with one another.

Zhong has performed a myriad of analyses along the way including but not limited to:

• A comprehensive study on the multiple stakeholders impacts that would result from a change in legislation impacting a Large Hub Airport.
• A comprehensive passenger traffic forecast of all commercial air service airports in the U.S. to assess potential bottlenecks in the system stemming from airport infrastructure constraints.
• Published both the U.S. Air Service Beige Deck as well as the U.S. Commercial Air Service in Review. These publications analyzed and provided context for airport industry comparisons.
• A detailed feasibility study and long-term traffic/cargo forecast for a major U.S. hub/gateway airport as well as other cargo-related forecasts.
• A detailed route analysis for a major European airline to assess an international financial corporation’s final decision on any future investment.
• A comprehensive network impact study for a major U.S. carrier in helping its effort to identify potential new routes as well as overall fleet planning.
• A detailed traffic forecast for a major airline in South America based on different routing possibilities and codeshare scenarios with a U.S. airline.

To perform these many analyses, Zhong is familiar with the many databases and associated software packages. Further detail is available upon request.