Will you fly with this airline in the future? An empirical study of airline avoidance after accidents

While safety is the paramount concern of the airline industry, accidents do happen. The subsequent media attention relating to an airline accident might lead potential passengers to avoid certain airline operators. This study examines factors potentially determining tendencies to avoid such airlines. A self-administered random survey was conducted with 230 respondents in a metropolitan area. Structural equation modelling was employed and the results highlight the significant role of consumer trust and service recovery. Consumer trust plays a mediating role in the relationships between the factors (i.e. previous flight experience, company image, stability attribution, controllability attribution) and the decision to avoid an airline.