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Financial health and airline safety

Author

Listed:
  • Gregory Noronha

    (School of Management, Arizona State University West, Phoenix, AZ 85069-7100, USA)

  • Vijay Singal

    (Department of Finance, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0221, USA)

Abstract

Agency-cost models suggest that firms may pursue riskier strategies in times of financial distress. For example, stockholders of financially weak firms in industries where quality cannot be observed ex-ante have an incentive to compromise safety and quality to maximize current period profit. However, there exists only a modest amount of empirical evidence that relates financial health to the risk-taking behavior of firms. We explore this relationship for the airline industry. Using bond ratings to proxy for financial health and airline mishaps to measure safety, we find a significant correlation: airlines with higher quality bond ratings are less likely to experience mishaps than airlines with lower quality ratings. On average, a whole letter grade better bond rating is associated with a 10% lower probability of a mishap. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory Noronha & Vijay Singal, 2004. "Financial health and airline safety," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(1), pages 1-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:25:y:2004:i:1:p:1-16
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1133
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Akyildirim, Erdinc & Corbet, Shaen & Efthymiou, Marina & Guiomard, Cathal & O'Connell, John F. & Sensoy, Ahmet, 2020. "The financial market effects of international aviation disasters," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Khadivar, Hamed & Fardnia, Pedram & Walker, Thomas, 2025. "Flying safe: The impact of corporate governance on aviation safety," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Oster, Clinton V. & Strong, John S. & Zorn, C. Kurt, 2013. "Analyzing aviation safety: Problems, challenges, opportunities," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 148-164.
    5. Stamolampros, Panagiotis & Korfiatis, Nikolaos, 2019. "Airline service quality and economic factors: An ARDL approach on US airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 24-31.
    6. Soo Young Kim, 2018. "Predicting hospitality financial distress with ensemble models: the case of US hotels, restaurants, and amusement and recreation," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 12(3), pages 483-503, September.
    7. Yi Hsin Lin & Yu Hern Chang, 2008. "Significant Factors of Aviation Insurance and Risk Management Strategy: An Empirical Study of Taiwanese Airline Carriers," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 453-461, April.
    8. Ren, Junqiushi, 2023. "Financial conditions and incumbent quality responses to entry: Evidence from airlines' on-time performance," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    9. Sepulveda Velasquez, Jorge, 2021. "Bibliometric Review of Research in Financial Health," MPRA Paper 111353, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Gordon Phillips & Giorgo Sertsios, 2013. "How Do Firm Financial Conditions Affect Product Quality and Pricing?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(8), pages 1764-1782, August.
    11. Wang, Zuozheng & Hofer, Christian & Dresner, Martin E., 2013. "Financial condition, safety investment and accident propensity in the US airline industry: A structural analysis," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 24-32.
    12. Qian Ma & Guojun Wang, 2023. "Financial distress and service decisions: Empirical evidence from the US domestic airlines," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(5), pages 2955-2972, July.
    13. Fox, Sarah, 2014. "Safety and security: The influence of 9/11 to the EU framework for air carriers and aircraft operators," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 24-33.

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