Flight cancellations and airline alliances: Empirical evidence from Europe

Abstract We show that participating in an airline global alliance significantly increases the likelihood of canceling a flight: an airline is more prone to cancel a flight once it can rely on its partners’ network. Alliance membership increases the value of the airline’s own network, enlarges route and hub dominance, and simplifies the re-routing of stranded passengers. Since flight cancellation may be affected by carriers’ behavior, the frequency of cancellations and their implied inconveniences to consumers should be taken into consideration by regulatory authorities.

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