Solutions for improving the partnership between airport and airline companies
Abstract
Purpose – For every country’s economy, air transport is strategically and vitally important. For improving the quality of air transport services provision, partnerships between airports and airlines need to be encouraged more. The application of partnerships leads to quality improvements of services provided by companies and raises the efficiency of used practices. A number of the factors, which determine the effective partnership between organisations operating in the aviation sector, is examined on the basis of specialised literature. The study addresses the question of how organisations interact with each other and what factors determine the need for partnership. Having identified common factors in the organisation’s operational interface and the need for it in the aviation sector and having analysed the practical examples of partnerships, the ways to enhance these factors are explored in order to achieve effective partnerships between airports and airlines.
Research methodology – consists of comparative analysis, methods of logical analysis and abstraction, multi-criteria evaluation.
Findings – The solution to the problem is expressed by identifying the factors of an effective partnership between the airports and the airlines and selecting the criteria for the assessment of the favourable effects of airport cooperation activities, and their hierarchical schemes from the positions of the airlines.
Practical implications – Using multi-criteria assessment methods is easy to construct matrices of initial estimates, calculate final estimates and thus decide which airport is the most appropriate partner for an airline or vice versa.
Originality/Value – A unique and, at the same time, a universal system of criteria, the application of which provides the preconditions for the development of the partnership, is created.
Research limitations – The availability of data is limited to determine the reasonable values of the partnership criteria.
Keyword : aviation sector, airports, airlines, partnership, criteria, multi-criteria evaluation
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Barak, S., & Dahooei, J. H. (2018). A novel hybrid fuzzy DEA-Fuzzy MADM method for airlines safety evaluation. Journal of Air Transport Management, 73, 134–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2018.09.001
Barrett, S. D. (2004). How do the demands for airport services differ between full-service carriers and low-cost carriers? Journal of Air Transport Management, 10(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2003.10.006
Bilotkach, V., & Hüschelrath, K. (2012). Airline alliances and antitrust policy: The role of efficiencies. Journal of Air Transport Management, 21, 76–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2011.12.019
Bruno, G., Esposito, E., & Genovese, A. (2015). A model for aircraft evaluation to support strategic decisions. Expert Systems with Applications, 42(13), 5580–5590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2015.02.054
Chang, Y. H., & Yeh, C. H. (2004). A new airline safety index. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 38(4), 369–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-2615(03)00047-X
Chao, C. C., & Kao, K. T. (2015). Selection of strategic cargo alliance by airlines. Journal of Air Transport Management, 43, 29–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2015.01.004
Chen, T. Y. (2018). Remoteness index-based Pythagorean fuzzy VIKOR methods with a generalised distance measure for multiple criteria decision analysis. Information Fusion, 41, 129–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2017.09.003
Coito, E., Klaus, B., & Blaser, W. (2019). Oro transportas. Rinkos taisyklės [Air transport: Market rules]. European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/lt/sheet/131/oro-transportas.-rinkos-taisykles
Deveci, M., Demirel, N. Ç., & Ahmetoğlu, E. (2017). Airline new route selection based on interval type-2 fuzzy MCDM: A case study of new route between Turkey – North American region destinations. Journal of Air Transport Management, 59, 83–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.11.013
Dinçer, H., Hacıoğlu, Ü., & Yüksel, S. (2017). Balanced scorecard based performance measurement of European airlines using a hybrid multi-criteria decision making approach under the fuzzy environment. Journal of Air Transport Management, 63, 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.05.005
Donnet, T., Ryley, T., Lohmann, G., & Spasojevic, B. (2018). Developing a Queensland (Australia) aviation network strategy: Lessons from three international contexts. Journal of Air Transport Management, 73, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2018.08.003
Dožić, S. (2019). Multi-criteria decision making methods: Application in the aviation industry. Journal of Air Transport Management, 79, 101683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2019.101683
Dray, L. M., Krammer, P., Doyme, K., Wang, B., Al Zayat, K., O’Sullivan, A., & Schäfer, A. W. (2019). AIM2015: Validation and initial results from an open-source aviation systems model. Transport Policy, 79, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.04.013
Dziedzic, M., & Warnock-Smith, D. (2016). The role of secondary airports for today’s low-cost carrier business models: The European case. Research in Transportation Business and Management, 21, 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2016.07.002
Efthymiou, M., Arvanitis, P., & Papatheodorou, A. (2016). Institutional changes and dynamics in the European Aviation Sector: Implications for tourism. In N. Pappas & I. Bregoli (Eds.), Global dynamics in travel, tourism, and hospitality (pp. 41–57). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0201-2.ch003
Evans, N. (2001). Collaborative strategy: An analysis of the changing world of international airline alliances. Tourism Management, 22(3), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(01)00024-3
Eyefortravel. (2015). How airlines and airports are working together to deliver a seamlessly connected passenger experience. https://events.eyefortravel.com/connected-traveller/documents/EyeforTravelConnectedTravellerSeries-Part2-AirportsandAirlinesCaseStudy-Final.pdf
Farmaki, A., & Papatheodorou, A. (2015). Stakeholder perceptions of the role of low-cost carriers in insular tourism destinations: The case of Cyprus. Tourism Planning and Development, 12(4), 412–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2015.1013566
Flightradar24 AB. (2020). Airports by country. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airports
Garg, C. P. (2016). A robust hybrid decision model for evaluation and selection of the strategic alliance partner in the airline industry. Journal of Air Transport Management, 52, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2015.12.009
Gillen, D., Hasheminia, H., & Jiang, C. (2015). Strategic considerations behind the network-regional airline tie ups – A theoretical and empirical study. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 72, 93–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2014.09.001
Goh, M., & Yong, J. (2006). Impacts of code-share alliances on airline cost structure: A truncated third-order translog estimation. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 24(4), 835–866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijindorg.2005.09.012
Görener, A., Ayvaz, B., Kuşakcı, A. O., & Altınok, E. (2017). A hybrid type-2 fuzzy based supplier performance evaluation methodology: The Turkish Airlines technic case. Applied Soft Computing Journal, 56, 436–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2017.03.026
Gudiel Pineda, P. J., Liou, J. J. H., Hsu, C. C., & Chuang, Y. C. (2018). An integrated MCDM model for improving airline operational and financial performance. Journal of Air Transport Management, 68, 103–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.06.003
Halpern, N., & Graham, A. (2015). Airport route development: A survey of current practice. Tourism Management, 46, 213–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.06.011
Halpern, N., & Regmi, U. K. (2013). Content analysis of European airport websites. Journal of Air Transport Management, 26, 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.08.006
Hsu, C. C., & Liou, J. J. H. (2013). An outsourcing provider decision model for the airline industry. Journal of Air Transport Management, 28, 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.12.009
Hsu, Y. L., Li, W. C., & Chen, K. W. (2010). Structuring critical success factors of airline safety management system using a hybrid model. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 46(2), 222–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2009.08.005
Huang, S. H. S., & Hsu, W. K. K. (2016). Evaluating the service requirements of combination air cargo carriers. Asia Pacific Management Review, 21(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2015.05.001
Huderek-Glapska, S., & Nowak, H. (2016). Airport and low-cost carrier business relationship management as a key factor for airport continuity: The evidence from Poland. Research in Transportation Business and Management, 21, 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2016.07.004
IATA. (2011). Airports Council International (ACI) World Annual General Assembly, Marrakech. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/speeches/2011-11-02-01/
Industry High Level Group. (2018). Aviation Benefits Report. 2. https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Pages/IHLG.aspx
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2017). Aviation for a better future. ICAO Journal, 72(4).
Jurevičienė, D., Skvarciany, V., & Lagunavičiūtė, A. (2020). Factors influencing individuals’ decision-making and causing financial crisis. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(4), 1149–1164. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2020.12890
Keshavarz Ghorabaee, M., Amiri, M., Zavadskas, E. K., Turskis, Z., & Antucheviciene, J. (2017). A new hybrid simulation-based assignment approach for evaluating airlines with multiple service quality criteria. Journal of Air Transport Management, 63, 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.05.008
Kraujalienė, L. (2019). Comparative analysis of multicriteria decision-making methods evaluating the efficiency of technology transfer. Business, Management and Education, 17(1), 72–93. https://doi.org/10.3846/bme.2019.11014
Kucuk Yilmaz, A., Malagas, K. N., Nikitakos, N., & Bal, H. T. (2018). Modeling regional routes with Greek airlines for flight operations to AOE airport. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 90(8), 1227– 1237. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-12-2017-0267
Kurtulmuşoğlu, F. B., Can, G. F., & Tolon, M. (2016). A voice in the skies: Listening to airline passenger preferences. Journal of Air Transport Management, 57, 130–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.07.017
Kutlu, L., & McCarthy, P. (2016). US airport ownership, efficiency, and heterogeneity. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 89, 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2016.03.003
Lane, J. E. (2005). Viešasis sektorius: sąvokos, modeliai ir požiūriai. Margi raštai.
Lau, H., Nakandala, D., Samaranayake, P., & Shum, P. (2016a). BPM for supporting customer relationship and profit decision. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-04-2015-0039
Lau, H., Nakandala, D., Samaranayake, P., & Shum, P. (2016b). A hybrid multi-criteria decision model for supporting customerfocused profitability analysis. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 116(6), 1105–1130. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-10-2015-0410
Li, J., Wen, X., Wu, M., Liu, F., & Li, S. (2019). Identification of key nodes and vital edges in aviation network based on minimum connected dominating set. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 541, 123340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2019.123340
Li, W., Yu, S., Pei, H., Zhao, C., & Tian, B. (2017). A hybrid approach based on fuzzy AHP and 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic method for evaluation in-flight service quality. Journal of Air Transport Management, 60, 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.01.006
Lin, H. F., & Huang, Y. W. (2015). Factors affecting passenger choice of low cost carriers: An analytic network process approach. Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.05.005
Liou, J. J. H. (2012). Developing an integrated model for the selection of strategic alliance partners in the airline industry. Knowledge-Based Systems, 28, 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2011.11.019
Liou, J. J. H., & Chuang, M. L. (2010). Evaluating corporate image and reputation using fuzzy MCDM approach in airline market. Quality and Quantity, 44(6), 1079–1091. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-009-9259-2
Liou, J. J. H., Tzeng, G. H., Tsai, C. Y., & Hsu, C. C. (2011a). A hybrid ANP model in fuzzy environments for strategic alliance partner selection in the airline industry. Applied Soft Computing Journal, 11(4), 3515–3524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2011.01.024
Liou, J. J. H., Wang, H. S., Hsu, C. C., & Yin, S. L. (2011b). A hybrid model for selection of an outsourcing provider. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 35(10), 5121–5133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2011.04.020
Lohmann, G., & Vianna, C. (2016). Air route suspension: The role of stakeholder engagement and aviation and non-aviation factors. Journal of Air Transport Management, 53, 199–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.03.007
Merkert, R., & Morrell, P. S. (2012). Mergers and acquisitions in aviation – Management and economic perspectives on the size of airlines. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 48(4), 853–862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2012.02.002
Morrish, S. C., & Hamilton, R. T. (2002). Airline alliances-who benefits? Journal of Air Transport Management, 8(6), 401–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-6997(02)00041-8
Natividad, A. (2017). This airline partnered with Uber to turn an ordinary taxi ride into a flight abroad. https://www.adweek.com/creativity/this-airline-partnered-with-uber-to-turn-an-ordinary-taxiride-into-a-flight-abroad/
Oum, T. H., Wang, K., & Yan, J. (2019). Measuring the effects of open skies agreements on bilateral passenger flow and service export and import trades. Transport Policy, 74, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.11.006
Ozdemir, Y., & Basligil, H. (2016). Aircraft selection using fuzzy ANP and the generalised choquet integral method: The Turkish airlines case. Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 31(1), 589–600. https://doi.org/10.3233/IFS-162172
Pandey, M., Singh, D. P., Jayraj, R., & Damodharan, K.V. (2018). Evaluating the low cost airline’s choice factors of airports in India Using fuzzy MCDM method. IJEMR, 8(3), 1–11.
Rezaei, J., Fahim, P. B. M., & Tavasszy, L. (2014). Supplier selection in the airline retail industry using a funnel methodology: Conjunctive screening method and fuzzy AHP. Expert Systems with Applications, 41(18), 8165–8179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2014.07.005
Ribačonka, E., & Kasnauskė, J. (2014). Veiksniai, įgalinantys veiksmingai veikti organizacijų tinklą. Regional Formation and Development Studies, 10(2), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v10i2.154
Singh, A. K. (2016). Competitive service quality benchmarking in airline industry using AHP. Benchmarking, 23(4), 768–791. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-05-2013-0061
Spasojevic, B., Lohmann, G., & Scott, N. (2019). Leadership and governance in air route development. Annals of Tourism Research, 78, 102746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102746
Thelle, M. H., & Sonne, M. la C. (2018). Airport competition in Europe. Journal of Air Transport Management, 67, 232–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.03.005
Torlak, G., Sevkli, M., Sanal, M., & Zaim, S. (2011). Analysing business competition by using fuzzy TOPSIS method: An example of Turkish domestic airline industry. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(4), 3396–3406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2010.08.125
Tretheway, M. W., & Markhvida, K. (2014). The aviation value chain: Economic returns and policy issues. Journal of Air Transport Management, 41, 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2014.06.011
Tsafarakis, S., Kokotas, T., & Pantouvakis, A. (2018). A multiple criteria approach for airline passenger satisfaction measurement and service quality improvement. Journal of Air Transport Management, 68, 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.09.010
Yoon, S. H., & Park, J. W. (2015). A study of the competitiveness of airline cargo services departing from Korea: Focusing on the main export routes. Journal of Air Transport Management, 42, 232–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2014.11.004
Zavadskas, E. K., Mardani, A., Turskis, Z., Jusoh, A., & Nor, K. M. (2016). Development of TOPSIS method to solve complicated decision-making problems: An overview on developments from 2000 to 2015. International Journal of Information Technology and Decision Making, 15, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219622016500176
Zhang, A., Hui, Y. Van, & Leung, L. (2004). Air cargo alliances and competition in passenger markets. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 40(2), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1366-5545(03)00034-6
Zhang, L., Zhang, L., Zhou, P., & Zhou, D. (2015). A non-additive multiple criteria analysis method for evaluation ofairline service quality. Journal of Air Transport Management, 47, 154–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2015.05.006