IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecotra/v43y2025ics2212012225000310.html

The impacts of airline corporate social responsibility in the air transport industry

Author

Listed:
  • Nerja, Adrián
  • Sánchez, Mariola

Abstract

This paper investigates the implications of airline corporate social responsibility (CSR) uptake in the air transport industry. Then, we extend the analysis considering the impact of parallel airline alliances on CSR of airlines. The results suggest that airports play a crucial role in shaping the CSR practices of airlines and that this impact should be viewed in the context of a network in the downstream market. When an airline adopts CSR, it can lead to an increase in social welfare and consumer surplus if the degree of substitutability of services provided by the airline and its parallel alliance is high enough.

Suggested Citation

  • Nerja, Adrián & Sánchez, Mariola, 2025. "The impacts of airline corporate social responsibility in the air transport industry," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:43:y:2025:i:c:s2212012225000310
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecotra.2025.100423
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212012225000310
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecotra.2025.100423?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yimin, 2006. "Rivalry between strategic alliances," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 287-301, March.
    2. Xiaowen Fu & Anming Zhang, 2010. "Effects of Airport Concession Revenue Sharing on Airline Competition and Social Welfare," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 44(2), pages 119-138, May.
    3. Lambertini, Luca & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2015. "Incentives, performance and desirability of socially responsible firms in a Cournot oligopoly," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 40-48.
    4. Xiao, Yi-bin & Fu, Xiaowen & Oum, Tae H. & Yan, Jia, 2017. "Modeling airport capacity choice with real options," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 93-114.
    5. Yang, Hangjun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2015. "A comparison of price-cap and light-handed airport regulation with demand uncertainty," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 122-132.
    6. Fageda, Xavier & Flores-Fillol, Ricardo & Theilen, Bernd, 2019. "Hybrid cooperation agreements in networks: The case of the airline industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 194-227.
    7. Xu, Fangzhou & Hanaoka, Shinya, 2021. "Effects of airport terminal competition: A vertical structure approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    8. Lee, Won Seok & Tang, Ruohan & Moon, Joonho & Song, Myungkeun, 2022. "The structural relationship between a low-cost carrier’s service experience, corporate social responsibility, brand love, and reuse intention: The case of Southwest Airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    9. Björn Brand & Michael Grothe, 2015. "Social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 275-289, July.
    10. Wan, Xi & Zou, Benteng, 2024. "Multi-product airport competition and optimal airport charges," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    11. Park, Jong-Hun, 1997. "The effects of airline alliances on markets and economic welfare," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 181-195, September.
    12. Kopel, Michael & Brand, Björn, 2012. "Socially responsible firms and endogenous choice of strategic incentives," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 982-989.
    13. Chen, Yu & Gu, Xin & Gao, Yongqiang & Lan, Tian, 2021. "Sustainability with high-speed rails: The effects of transportation infrastructure development on firms’ CSR performance," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2).
    14. Xu, Lili & Zhao, Qinghong & Chen, Yuyan & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2023. "Post privatization of high-speed rail with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in an international transportation market: Mandatory CSR versus voluntary CSR," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    15. Park, Jong-Hun & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yimin, 2001. "Analytical models of international alliances in the airline industry," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 865-886, November.
    16. Xu, Lili & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2019. "Tariffs and privatization policy in a bilateral trade with corporate social responsibility," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 339-351.
    17. Hagmann, Carmen & Semeijn, Janjaap & Vellenga, David B., 2015. "Exploring the green image of airlines: Passenger perceptions and airline choice," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 37-45.
    18. Zhang, Anming & Fu, Xiaowen & Yang, Hangjun (Gavin), 2010. "Revenue sharing with multiple airlines and airports," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(8-9), pages 944-959, September.
    19. Wang, Qi & Wu, Chong & Sun, Yang, 2015. "Evaluating corporate social responsibility of airlines using entropy weight and grey relation analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 55-62.
    20. Basso, Leonardo J. & Zhang, Anming, 2008. "On the relationship between airport pricing models," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 725-735, November.
    21. Goering, Gregory E., 2008. "Welfare impacts of a non-profit firm in mixed commercial markets," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 326-334, December.
    22. García, Arturo & Leal, Mariel & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2018. "Time-inconsistent environmental policies with a consumer-friendly firm: Tradable permits versus emission tax," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 523-537.
    23. Nerja, A. & Sánchez, M., 2021. "The effects of concession revenue sharing contracts in airport competition," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    24. Nerja, Adrián, 2023. "Can parallel airline alliances be welfare improving? The case of airline–airport vertical agreement," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    25. Li, He & Lu, Juan & Guo, Feiyu, 2022. "High speed rail and corporate social responsibility performance: Analysis of intra-regional location and inter-regional spillover," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 65-75.
    26. Seo, Kwanglim & Moon, Joonho & Lee, Seoki, 2015. "Synergy of corporate social responsibility and service quality for airlines: The moderating role of carrier type," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 126-134.
    27. Adler, Nicole & Hanany, Eran, 2016. "Regulating inter-firm agreements: The case of airline codesharing in parallel networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 31-54.
    28. Kuo, Tsai Chi & Kremer, Gül E. Okudan & Phuong, Nguyen Thi & Hsu, Chia-Wei, 2016. "Motivations and barriers for corporate social responsibility reporting: Evidence from the airline industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 184-195.
    29. Gregory E. Goering, 2007. "The strategic use of managerial incentives in a non-profit firm mixed duopoly," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 83-91.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sánchez, M. & Urbano, A., 2025. "Consumers’ privacy concerns and price setting in a multichannel monopoly," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nerja, Adrián, 2023. "Can parallel airline alliances be welfare improving? The case of airline–airport vertical agreement," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    2. Adrian Nerja, 2017. "Effects of concession revenue sharing contracts and airline alliances in airport competition," Discussion Papers in Economic Behaviour 0317, University of Valencia, ERI-CES.
    3. Fanti, Luciano & Buccella, Domenico, 2018. "A note on the social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," MPRA Paper 88162, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2018. "Profitability of corporate social responsibility in network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(3), pages 271-289, September.
    5. Xu Lili & Lee Sang-Ho, 2022. "Corporate Profit Tax and Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Under Foreign Acquisition," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(1), pages 123-151, January.
    6. Jorge Fernández-Ruiz, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in a supply chain and competition from a vertically integrated firm," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(2), pages 209-233, June.
    7. Domenico Buccella & Luciano Fanti & Luca Gori & Mauro Sodini, 2024. "Corporate social responsibility and network externalities: a game-theoretic approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 337(3), pages 835-871, June.
    8. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in unionised network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(2), pages 235-262, June.
    9. Chokri Aloui & Khaïreddine Jebsi, 2022. "Does corporate social responsibility solve the chicken‐and‐egg problem for a two‐sided platform?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 3235-3256, October.
    10. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Publisher Correction: Social Responsibility in a Bilateral Monopoly with Downstream Convex Technology," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 777-777, December.
    11. Seung-Leul Kim & Sang-Ho Lee & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and privatization policy in a mixed oligopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 67-89, September.
    12. Bárcena-Ruiz, Juan Carlos & Garzón, María Begoña & Sagasta, Amagoia, 2024. "Partial privatization and the degree of corporate social responsibility of private investors," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    13. Lisa Planer-Friedrich & Marco Sahm, 2020. "Strategic corporate social responsibility, imperfect competition, and market concentration," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 79-101, January.
    14. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Pareto-Superiority of Corporate Social Responsibility in Unionised Industries," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 19(2), pages 131-150, December.
    15. Kopel, Michael & Lamantia, Fabio & Szidarovszky, Ferenc, 2014. "Evolutionary competition in a mixed market with socially concerned firms," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 394-409.
    16. Luca Lambertini & Arsen Palestini & Alessandro Tampieri, 2016. "CSR in an Asymmetric Duopoly with Environmental Externality," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(1), pages 236-252, July.
    17. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility in a game-theoretic context," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(3), pages 371-390, September.
    18. Liu, Qian & Wang, Leonard F.S. & Chen, Charlie L., 2018. "CSR in an oligopoly with foreign competition: Policy and welfare implications," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-7.
    19. Buccella, Domenico & Fanti, Luciano & Gori, Luca, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility: A theory of the firm revisited with environmental issues," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1421, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Fukuda, Katsufumi & Ouchida, Yasunori, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the environment: Does CSR increase emissions?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L93 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Air Transportation
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:43:y:2025:i:c:s2212012225000310. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecotra .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.