Environmental Sustainability Practices in Airlines and Their Effects on Passenger Behavior

OpenAlex İngilizce

This study examines the effects of passenger perceptions of airline companies' environmental activities on consumer behavior using a quantitative research design. The literature indicates that environmental image (Grimmer & Woolley, 2014), corporate social responsibility practices (Carroll, 1999), environmental service quality (Chang & Fong, 2010), and perceived green value (Chen, 2010) have been highlighted as determinants of consumer trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. However, the interactions of these variables in the airline context have been addressed only to a limited extent. Accordingly, this study empirically tests these relationships by applying reliability analyses, multiple regression models, and parallel mediation tests on data obtained from 450 passengers traveling in Turkey, using anonymized data sets taken from previous studies. The findings of the analysis show that green image (GI) has significant indirect effects on loyalty (LOY) and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) through passenger satisfaction (SAT) and trust (GT). The effects of satisfaction and trust variables on loyalty were found to be highly significant, supporting previous studies in the service marketing literature that emphasize the trust–satisfaction–loyalty continuum (e.g., Oliver, 1999; Parasuraman et al., 1988). The parallel mediation model reveals that perceptions of environmental activities are not limited to direct effects but also involve a multi-layered mechanism that shapes behavioral intentions through psychological evaluations. The research presents important findings for both airline management literature and practice by demonstrating that environmental sustainability-focused strategies contribute to long-term customer relationships through passenger trust and satisfaction.