Airline Operators’ Strategies for Addressing Climate Change in Accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Purpose – In line with their core activities, airlines occupy a position that is both affected by global climate change and contributes to the acceleration of global warming. This study aims to identify the effect of airline companies’ climate-change awareness levels—given their role as key actors in air transport—on their climate change mitigation behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach – There are seven commercial airlines engaged in passenger and cargo transport. A survey was administered to 215 individuals serving in managerial positions at these airlines. To examine the effects of airline managers’ climate-change awareness on climate change mitigation behavior, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed. Given the exploratory nature of this research, Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used, implemented via the SmartPLS software package.
Results – It has been determined that as airline managers’ personal levels of awareness increase, their climate change mitigation behaviors also increase. Moreover, it has been observed that as managers’ awareness of the impacts of climate change and of sectoral initiatives rises, their adaptation behaviors are positively affected. The vast majority of respondents perceive climate change as a risk; more than half incorporate elements of climate change mitigation into their business strategies.
Discussion – Airline managers appear to be more adaptable in responding to opportunities in the context of climate change adaptation. Accordingly, managers are expected to identify climate-related risks and opportunities in advance and to present comprehensive analyses of how the sector may be affected by climate change. Moreover, airlines’ awareness of their responsibilities to mitigate emissions is considered to confer a strategic advantage—positioning them as distinctive in the eyes of environmentally conscious consumers of the future and strengthening their competitive standing.