Turkish Aviation Research Articles

Crisis Communication in the Context of Rational and Emotional Benefit: The Case of the Aviation Sector

This study aims to examine the impact of crisis communication strategies in the aviation sector, specifically within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, by evaluating both rational and emotional benefits. It emphasizes the importance of considering both aspects of crisis communication to effectively address the negative effects of the pandemic on the Turkish aviation industry. A quantitative research method was employed to determine the validity and reliability of the factors under investigation. The study utilized a questionnaire-based approach to collect concrete data and assess the levels of crisis communication in relation to emotional and rational benefits within the Turkish aviation sector. The research findings highlight that airlines in the Turkish aviation sector have responded to the pandemic by implementing strategies focused on health and safety measures, flexibility policies, customer relationship management, and empathy. These strategies aim to address both rational expectations and emotional needs of customers. Consequently, evaluating and integrating rational and emotional benefits within crisis communication processes is a crucial step for airlines to enhance customer satisfaction, establish trust, and maintain their reputation. This study adds to the current body of literature by emphasizing the significance of crisis communication strategies that consider both rational and emotional benefits. It recognizes the specific challenges faced by the Turkish aviation sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic and explores approaches to mitigate the negative effects. Evaluating and integrating rational and emotional benefits within crisis communication processes is deemed crucial for enhancing customer satisfaction, establishing trust, and maintaining a favourable reputation.

Conceptualization of Senior Management Support to the Safety Management in Aviation Organizations in Turkey

ABSTRACT Senior managers are considered to play a major role in successful safety management practices. In this study, the meaning of what senior managers’ believe support to safety management means was examined and the components of this support were identified. The qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews from 21 Safety Management System and Compliance Monitoring managers working in Turkish aviation organizations. This qualitative data was then analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis method in the NVivo 10.0 Program. The following six components of senior management’s support for safety management were revealed: 1- Demonstrating Effective Safety Leadership, 2- Carrying Out Safety Related Planning Activities, 3- Providing Adequate Resources, 4- Controlling Safety Performance, 5- Strengthening Positive Safety Culture, and 6- Coordinating with Stakeholders. According to the participants, Having a High Safety Commitment, Being Convincing and Building Trust, and Encouraging Other Managers are the most important support components. Allocating necessary financial resources to safety management and strengthening positive reporting culture are also important support indicators. Additionally, it was found that strategic management in aviation organizations should include safety management. In addition, the role of senior management support in the success of contemporary safety management approaches emerged as critical.

Civil Aviation Policies and Practices in Turkey in a Global Context Through Sustainable Aviation.

The negative environmental effects of global civil aviation growth since the 19th century lead to the emergence of the "sustainable aviation" concept. This study aims to determine the current status of sustainability discussions in developing Turkish civil aviation and its alignment with global sustainable aviation policies. The research data are collected through document analysis and key expert interviews. Document analysis is to review reports on sustainable aviation and to compare two cases of AirFrance-KLM and Turkish Airlines. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with key experts from airline companies, public institutions, and subsidiary services in the Turkish aviation sector. The analysis results are presented under the themes of "institutional, conceptual, Turkey's current situation, motivations, role of international organizations, cooperation and coordination, problems and obstacles." The results show that the Turkish civil aviation industry is enthusiastic about catching up with international standards and is successful in keeping up with the latest technologies. The private sector is leading the sector by targeting global competitiveness. Current deficiencies stem from legislation, incentives, obligations, resources, and environmental awareness. The main contribution is to be the first source and guide for future studies that aim to shed light on policymaking in Turkey as an emerging country case.

COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNİN TÜRK HAVA YOLU İŞLETMELERİNİN PAZARLAMA STRATEJİLERİNE ETKİSİ

The COVID-19 outbreak that emerged in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 has affected the whole world. As the outbreak turned into a pandemic, it has negatively affected the aviation industry among many other sectors. During this period, the airline transport companies have attempted to minimise their economic losses by differentiating their marketing strategies. This study defines and compares the marketing strategies implemented by the companies in the Turkish aviation industry before and during the COVID-19 period using semi-structured qualitative research technique and provides recommendations.

AR-GE HARCAMALARININ FİNANSAL PERFORMANSA YANSIMASI: HAVACILIK SEKTÖRÜ ÖRNEĞİ

The aim of this study is to investigate the affect of R&D spending in the Turkish aviation sector on the financial performance of the sector. Three research models were established in the study covering the 2008-2021 period and analyzing annual sector data. The models use dependent variables; return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and return on sales (ROS), and independent variable; R&D intensity and control variables; financial leverage ratio, liquidity ratio and sector size. 14-year data of the aviation industry were analyzed with multiple linear regression analysis. As a result of the analysis, the R&D spending in the aviation sector had a statistically significant and positive affect on the financial performance of the sector. On the other hand, financial leverage ratio which were the control variables in the model, had a negative affect on the ROS of the aviation sector, while the liquidity ratio and the size of the sector had a positive affect on the financial performance.

The Nexus Between COVID-19 Government Responses and Aviation Stock Prices in Turkey: OxCGRT Stringency Index-Based Analysis

Air transportation is the significant mode of transmission, enabling the worldwide spread of infectious diseases through the mobility of infected persons. Therefore, governments applied the most comprehensive restrictions and preventions in civil aviation during COVID-19. The industry is one of the most economically impacted due to travel, and flight restrictions. This paper aims to investigate the long- and short-term nexuses between government responses to COVID-19 and the aviation stock prices traded in Borsa Istanbul. The OxCGRT stringency Turkey index is used to measure the Turkish government responses and policies to COVID-19. In the study, the daily data of Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Do&Co Catering, TAV Airport Holding, Celebi Ground Handling stock prices, and the OxCGRT stringency Turkey index for the 24.01.2020-11.11.2021 period were used, and Granger causality and Engle-Granger cointegration tests were applied to reveal the nexuses. In conclusion, there is a cointegration nexus and one-way causality from the index to all Turkish aviation stock prices, except the Celebi Ground Handling stock prices. The contribution of this study is that it is probably the first one in Turkey to reveal the nexus between the government's policy and responses to COVID-19 and aviation stock prices.

THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE AIR TRANSPORT MARKET IN TURKEY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In this study, the situation of the Turkish aviation industry during COVID-19 was examined. Turkish aviation industry entered a rapid growth phase in the 21st century, great developments were achieved in aviation with the investments made, and the share received from the world aviation industry grew day by day. However, this growth has been hit hard by the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. There have been great losses in passenger and freight transport. It is considered that the compensation of these losses will take a long time. In addition, in this study, the steps taken by the aviation authority and aviation companies to prevent the pandemic and to reduce its effects for the COVID-19 pandemic were evaluated.

An exploration of the causes and effects of flight attendant fatigue in Turkish aviation

The rapid growth in civil aviation operations in recent years has raised expectations from flight attendants. Their duties have been intensified, and flight attendants have become subject to physical and mental fatigue due to irregular sleep, inadequate rest time, and long working hours. This study investigates the causes and effects of fatigue among flight attendants of a Turkish airline company through a self-administrated questionnaire. The survey is run online by 152 flight attendants. The results show that flight attendants have trouble falling asleep before flight duty. Before night flights and during layovers, the sleep duration is dramatically low. The results also reveal that factors related to scheduling, i.e., long duty days, night flights, and consecutive working days, play an essential role in fatigue. Thus, airline companies should revise their scheduling practices. In balancing work and social life, men struggle more than women, and married flight attendants have more difficulty than single ones. The findings provide valuable insights for airline companies and policymakers to seriously manage fatigue-related factors to ensure the safety of aviation operations and the well-being of flight attendants.

Polish Contributors to the Modern Turkish State

Poles have found a place of refuge in Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) for centuries. For example, there is a village near Istanbul, Polonezköy (former Adampol), which was especially created with the Poles on the search for a second home in mind. When one considers the Polish community in Turkey during and after the Second World War, the contributions made by the Polish engineers to the development and expansion of the Turkish aviation and industry are often forgotten. The assistance that Turkey provided Poles with during the war as a ‘friendly’ neutral country has also been overlooked. Although, there were relatively few Poles living in Turkey during this period, they played a vital role in the development of the country. Nowadays they barely receive a mention. For the most part, their accomplishments have been overlooked. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the shared past and to the period when these two countries came to each other’s assistance once more.

Exploring Strategic Choices of Airlines: A Study in Turkish Air Transport Industry

Inter-firm competition in the field of aviation, which accelerates through liberalisation and globalisation trends, has been investigated by numerous studies in the post-deregulation era; however, it has not been adequately addressed in Turkish aviation market. The aim of this study is to unveil the business strategies and strategic typologies of Turkish passenger carriers, as well as the degree of involvement of firms in the strategic planning process, the current outlook, and the competitive structure of the Turkish passenger air transport industry. The research is designed in a way to collect data through interviews with senior executives of the airlines. In terms of findings, the study concludes that five scheduled airlines and three charter airlines have attempted to implement more than one generic strategy at the same time as an “integrated cost and differentiation strategy,” with the primary strategy being cost leadership. Moreover, the passenger carriers in question displayed the features of “analysers-defenders” mainly linked to the competitive typology viewpoint. This study is believed to lead to a deeper understanding of potential explanations why companies have made specific strategic choices regarding generic strategies and strategic approaches. Regulators, individual companies operating in the aviation industry and prospective companies, investors, etc. can use the results of the study to regulate the market, better understand their competitors, set their priorities and plans, evaluate, and assess the market.

Entrepreneurship Activities in Turkish Aviation: A Research on Indigenous Aircraft Manufacturing Operating in Turkey

Günümüzde insanlığın ortak birikimi olarak değerlendirilen havacılık, 1903 yılında Wright kardeşlerin havadan ağır ilk motorlu uçağı icat etmesiyle farklı bir boyut kazanmıştır. Havacılığın askeri alanda kullanılmaya başlanması, ardından sivil havacılığın gelişimi ile ülkelerin kendi havacılık faaliyetlerinin hız kazanması günümüz havacılığının şekillenmesinde etkili olmuştur. Geçmişten günümüze havacılık girişimi faaliyetlerinde ülkelerin uçak üretimi girişimleri de önemli bir konu olmuştur. Hem uçak üretiminde hem de diğer havacılık çalışmalarında, Türk havacılığının bireysel ve toplumsal olarak girişimcilik faaliyetleri oldukça önemlidir. Türkiye’de havacılıkta girişimcilik faaliyetleri özellikle 1920 – 1950’li yıllarda ön planda olmuş ve 1923 yılında Türkiye’de Cumhuriyet’in ilanıyla Ulu Önder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ün önderliğinde bu faaliyetler artmış, hatta ilk yerli uçak üretimi de gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, 1920 – 1950 yılları arasında Türk havacılığında girişimcilik faaliyetleri adı altında gerçekleştirilen yerli uçak üretimi çalışmaları aktarılmıştır. Buna ilaveten 1950 yılından 2000 yılına kadar Türk havacılığında yerli uçak üretimi ile ilgili çalışmaların neden sekteye uğradığı açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. 2000’li yıllardan sonra Türkiye’de havacılık faaliyetlerinin hız kazanmasıyla, yerli uçak üretimi girişimleri tekrar gündeme gelmiş ve yerli uçak üretimi çalışmaları başlamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nde havacılıkta girişimcilik faaliyetleri çerçevesinde geçmişten günümüze yerli uçak üretimi çalışmalarını değerlendirmek ve bu doğrultuda günümüzde planlanan yerli uçak üretimi projelerini ortaya koyarak literatüre katkı sağlamaktır. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan durum çalışması yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Günümüzde Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nde gerçekleştirilen üretimler ve planlanan projeler ortaya konulduğunda ve geçmişteki yerli uçak üretimi girişimleri göz önüne alındığında, Türk havacılığının yerli uçak üretiminde başarılı olacağı görülmektedir.

A NEW BREATH FOR TURKISH-AMERICAN RELATIONS IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD: COOPERATION WITH CURTISS-WRIGHT COMPANY AND EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TURKISH AVIATION

Birinci Dünya Savaşı henüz devam ederken, Amerika’nın, Almanya’ya savaş açması nedeniyle dolaylı olarak kesilen Osmanlı İmparatorluğu-Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) diplomatik ilişkileri, savaş sonrasında da uzunca bir süre rayına oturtulamamıştır. Özellikle Lozan Müzakereleri esnasında Türk-Amerikan heyetleri arasında imzalanan antlaşmaların Amerikan Senatosu’nda onaylanmaması, iki devletin ilişkilerini resmi kanaldan geliştirebilme imkânına ket vururken belirli bir süre ancak Amiral Bristol gibi tanınmış şahsiyetlerin çabalarıyla yol alınmaya çalışılmıştır. Mevcut durum, 1927 yılındaki nota teatisi [modus vivendi] ile kısmen çözülürken, ilk büyükelçilerin atanması ve sonrasında gerçekleştirilen diplomatik çabalar, iki devlet arasında ekonomik ve siyasal alanda yeni bir sürecin başlamasına katkı sağlamıştır. ABD ile olumlu ilişkilerin kurulmaya çalışıldığı bu süreç, Türkiye’nin aynı zamanda askeri ve sivil havacılık kabiliyetini geliştirmeye çalıştığı bir döneme tekabül etmiştir. Gerçekten de havacılığın önemi, henüz ilk dönemlerden itibaren anlaşılsa da özellikle maddi yetersizlikler ve on yıllık savaş dönemi nedeniyle esaslı düzenlemeler hayata geçirilememiştir. Yeni devletin kuruluş sürecinde havacılığa, hem önemli bir beka unsuru hem de ülkenin iç ve dış bağlantısını sağlayacak modern bir irtibat vasıtası gözüyle bakılmış ve bir program dahilinde geliştirilmesi için yoğun çaba sarf edilmiştir. Öte yandan uçak ve motor imalinin yurt içerisinde yapılmasından, havayolu taşımacılığının milli bir havayolu şirketince gerçekleştirilmesine kadar hayli kapsamlı ve önemli bir mali kaynak gerektiren bu programın o an için ancak bu konuda teknik deneyimi olan yabancı ortaklıklarla yürürlüğe sokulabileceği düşünülmüştür. Bu kapsamda Alman Junkers Flugzeugwerke A.G firması ile Kayseri’de bir uçak fabrikası tesis edilmiş, bazı Avrupalı havayolu şirketlerine ise ülkenin dış bağlantılı havayolu taşımacılığı için imtiyaz verilmiştir. Söz konusu girişimler, savaş sonrası Türk havacılığının gelişimi açısından son derece önemli birer kilometre taşı olmakla birlikte kalıcı olamamıştır. 1920’li yılların sonuna gelindiğinde Hükümet’in havacılık alanındaki yarım kalan işlerin tamamlanması adına mal ve hizmet arayışı, ilişkilerin hızla geliştiği bir süreçte gözlerin okyanus ötesine çevrilmesine yol açmış ve nihayetinde yapılan girişimler ilk meyvesini, Türk Hükümeti ile Amerikan Curtiss-Wright Şirketi arasında yapılan iş birliği anlaşması ile vermiştir. 23 Kasım 1931 tarihli anlaşma gereğince Kayseri Tayyare Fabrikasının Amerikalı uzmanların nezaretinde tekrardan faaliyete geçirilmesi, Amerika’dan sipariş edilen bir kısım uçağın imalat ve montaj işlemlerinin fabrikada gerçekleştirilmesi, ülkede motor üretim imkânlarının incelenmesi ve havayolu taşımacılığının yeniden düzenlenmesi konularında mutabakat sağlanmıştır. Sonraki süreçte anlaşmada belirtildiği gibi önce fabrikaya işlerlik kazandırılmış ardından da 1932 yılı içerisinde siparişi verilen ilk uçakların imalat/montaj ve muayene işlemlerine geçilmiştir. Bu esnada Şirket’in görevlendirdiği havayolu uzmanları ülkeye gelerek çalışmalarına başlamışlar ve bu çalışmalar doğrultusunda yine Şirket tarafından temin edilen uçak, pilot ve teknisyenler vasıtasıyla Türk Hava Postaları adına ilk yurt içi hava taşımacılığı seferleri düzenlenmeye başlamıştır. Curtiss-Wright Şirketi ile yürütülen, yaklaşık yedi senelik işbirliği süresince 54 uçak envantere dahil edilmiş, çalışanlara yurt içi/dışı eğitimler verilmiş ve sivil hava taşımacılığının temelleri atılmıştır. Bununla birlikte bir kısmı Şirket’in kendisinden, önemli bir kısmı da 1930’lu yılların ortalarına doğru değişen ekonomik ve siyasal konjonktürden kaynaklanan olaylar, Hükümet’i farklı tercihleri değerlendirmek durumunda bırakmış ve işbirliği son bulmuştur. Bu çalışmada, genellikle iki savaş arası dönem hava harp sanayisinin gelişimi bağlamında daha çok teknik yönüyle ele alınan Curtiss-Wright Şirketi ile yapılan iş birliği, aynı dönem iki ülke arasında gelişen ilişkiler açısından da irdelenerek konuya ilişkin bütüncül bir perspektif ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır.

The gap between academy and industry - A qualitative study in Turkish aviation context

Following the rapid growth of aviation industry in Turkey, the number of universities offering aviation management programs and enrolled students have substantially increased. The aim of these programs is to meet the demand of qualified personnel needed by the growing aviation industry and to contribute to its development. However, the extent to which these departments fulfill their missions is unknown. Universities and industry face different public pressures, regulatory expectations, and industry norms. In addition, both sides have different cultures, policies, and institutional logics. These differences affect how the academy and the industry form and manage their relationship. The aim of this study is to explore the current relationship between Turkish aviation industry and aviation management departments of Turkish universities and to understand how their expectations and values are shaped by the institutional dynamics and institutional logics. The findings reveal that different institutional logics of the aviation industry and aviation management programs result in a gap between what the aviation industry managers value and what aviation management programs offer. This gap causes graduates to face difficulty in finding job in the aviation industry and it also hinders the effective collaboration between industry and academy.

Coping with Work-Family Conflict, Integrating Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs: A Case Study in Eskişehir/Turkey

In this study, through which the impact of work-family conflict on turnover intention is investigated, intermediary role of psychological satisfaction, which has recently started to be dealt with in organizational life, is studied. This study is conducted on 122 white-collar workers working at a private institution in Turkish aviation industry, the data is gathered through a survey. In the survey work-family conflict scale, satisfaction of basic psychological needs scale, life satisfaction scale and turnover intention scale are used. Using the results obtained from the analysis of survey, it is shown that only work-family conflict seems to predict life satisfaction and turnover intention rather than family-work conflict. The study results demonstrate that in the effect of work-family conflict on life satisfaction and turnover intention, satisfaction of basic psychological needs plays a partial intermediary role. The results are discussed in detail with regard to basic needs theory as a framework.

The barriers against effective university industry collaboration - A study in Turkish aviation industry

Purpose - The aim of this study is to explore the current situation of collaboration and knowledge transfer between aviation industry and higher education institutions offering aviation management programs in Turkey and to identify the perceived barriers against effective collaborations and knowledge transfer from industry point of view. Methodology - Semi-structured interviews were used to meet the research objectives. The data was analyzed with the help of MaxQda qualitative data analysis program. Findings - The findings reveal that there is poor collaboration and knowledge transfer between aviation management departments of universities and aviation industry in Turkey. The main barriers against effective collaboration and knowledge transfer from aviation industry actors’ perspectives are the lack of research orientation of the academy, lack of industry experience and practical knowledge of the academicians, and lack of commercial mindset of the academicians. In addition, academy and industry having different motivations for collaborations, academy being slow in adapting to changes and poor collaboration culture of the industry are other important barriers identified by the industry actors. Conclusion - It is expected that the implications brought by this study would help aviation industry and aviation academy partners in developing sustainable collaborations.

Modeling regional routes with Greek airlines for flight operations to AOE airport

PurposeResearch carried out within the scope of the present new emerging optimum market to Greek regional airlines. This study (based on interconnected flight network) aims to provide an optimal alternative for flights to be carried out by small Greek airlines to Eskisehir Airport in Turkey. The airlines seek to sustainable demand base to improve themselves in a profitable way.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the analytical network process method was used. In the construction of network models, specific criteria have been considered, and the analysis has been accomplished as multi-criteria decision-making problem because of the relationship and interaction between them. A number of professionals with high knowledge of the Greek and Turkish aviation market were participated in the study.FindingsBoth Greek and Turkish experts think that the scenarios should include more airports (multi leg flights) to benefit from the increased traffic from all these destinations. Although, the model showed that more sustainable and effective routes are the simplest ones (single leg flights). Thus, the experts suggested the following five routes: Athens (ATH)-Antalya (AYT)-Eskisehir (AOE)-ATH; Heraklion (HER)-AOE-ATH; ATH-Istanbul (IST)-AOE-Thessaloniki (SKG); ATH-AOE-Cologne (CGN)-ATH and ATH-AOE-Izmir (ADB)-CGN-ATH. In addition, the experts pointed out the routes Eskisehir (AOE)-Brussel (BRU) and AOE-Cologne (CGN), as the passenger demand for them is high. These are considerable suggestions and should be examined by airlines’ managers, while aviation authorities should take these under consideration.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some factors that limit the potential extension of the small Greek regional airlines to Eskisehir airport. Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport is the most used airport for international connected flight in Turkey, and the most airlines prefer this as a destination airport, although it has slots limitations and intense traffic. According to a previous project, sustainable flight network may include Istanbul and Izmir. Also, the bilateral agreement between Greece and Turkey according to Memorandum of Understanding between the Aeronautical Authorities of the Republic of Turkey and Hellenic Republic consists the main limitation of the traffic increase.Practical implicationsConnected flight network model suggestions developed in this research may provide contribution to airlines’ research and development activities. Also this kind of studies may contribute to the increase of the passengers’ traffic between the two countries with mutual benefits.Social implicationsBased on the current study, with determined the grid network flights, new flights can be scheduled that are offering significant benefits. Also passengers will have the ability to travel to an attractive destination. In particular, the study may positively contribute to the further development of AOE and to the region around the city. On the other side, the Greek regional airlines can find an important market. Anadolu University’s entrepreneurship ability will be improved and also AOE’s business will be increased. This study will enforce the stronger links between both Greek [Hellenic (Greek) Civil Aviation Authority] and Turkish (General Directorate of Civil Aviation) aviation authorities. In addition, this study may contribute to the improvement of the economic relations between Greece and Turkey with mutual benefits.Originality/valueIt is thought that this research shows Greek and Turkish airports feasibility to cooperate providing benefits to passengers, airlines and the countries’ economies. The study includes current social, economic and cultural dynamics of the countries making significant contribution to academic literature. The capacity and demand analysis is useful for the management of the specific Greek carriers. Expert opinions are consulted over the course of taking strategic decisions. The analysis has been conducted, based on expert opinions and referred to for these pairwise comparisons. Airlines and airport managers based on the suggested methodology may examine potential flights, although more numerical data are necessary.

A study towards understanding perception of environmental sustainability in Turkish aviation industry

Purpose- The main aim of this study is examine sustainability from the environmental aspects which is increasing in its importance. Methodology- The procedure of the study as follow: Firstly, review of literature are carried out in the headings namely sustainability, environmental sustainability and aviation sustainability. Then, interview questionnare, participant information and finding of questionnare are stated in the second part of the study. Finally, perspectives of environmental sustainability in aviation industry are evaluated and suggestions are submitted in the last part of the study. Findings- In this research, viewpoints and applications of the air service companies regarding sustainability are observed in order to understand their approach. Furthermore, the difference of sustainability approach between private and public enterprises are determined in this study. Conclusion- As a result of the work done, it has been seen that environmental sustainability matters more than other dimensions of sustainability. Legal regulations have a significant contribution in this regard.

Comparison of the safety cultures of Turkish aviation and maritime transportation workers

Given the needs of the growing world population, the importance of the transportation sector has steadily increased. Maritime and aviation fields are considered two crucial parts of this sector. Transportation accidents must be minimized in order to ensure timely delivery of natural resources, sustainable production and safety of life and property. Human error plays an important role in transportation accidents and is the cause of 70–90% of all aviation and maritime accidents. These errors can be minimized by enhancing the perception of safety culture for individuals, corporations and nations. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 318 Turkish people who work in different positions in the aviation and maritime industries. The perceptions of safety culture within different occupations and occupational groups were compared. Statistically significant differences were found between the aviation and maritime sectors.

Sustainability reporting in airlines industry: evidence from Turkey

Airlines are a crucial driver for economic and social development, connecting people, delivering products and transporting goods. Today, there is a much clearer recognition of the need to consider aviation's contribution to the three pillars of sustainability; economic, social and environment in a more integrated manner. Even sustainability reporting is popular subject in academic literature, sustainability reporting related researches are limited in the airlines. The main aim of this research paper is to address the status of sustainability reports in Turkish aviation industry by focusing airlines. In 2016, there are 13 airlines companies operating in Turkey's civil aviation industry in the field of passenger and cargo carriage. Data of the research collected through web sites visits of the companies, the GRI disclosure database, the public disclosure database (KAP) in Turkey. The results show that sustainability reporting practices are not common in Turkey's aviation industry. Among the 13 airlines companies, only one airlines company has sustainability reports. In addition to that, there is one airport operation company and one ground handling company in the sector that publish sustainability reports.

Intelligent assignment in clusters to enhance collaboration and innovation

PurposeSmall organizations within profit maximization supply chains form industrial clusters to share resources. They mainly deliver products and services in a reactive manner, where the cluster is only facilitating. However, the cluster management can lead business development and assign work packages intelligently to appropriate cluster members by respecting collaboration and innovation. This upgrade of the cluster management requires a systematic approach. Therefore, the intelligent Cluster Assignment Tool concept is developed and an illustrative example is given. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachInterviews and workshops were used to isolate the hierarchy of the assignment model, supported by a literature research. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method was applied to determine weights, consolidating data delivered by members of a Turkish aviation and defence cluster. The approach was discussed at the IEEE 2016 ICE Conference in Norway with experts to assess regional restrictions.FindingsCluster members are actively looking for possibilities to enhance innovation potential that they are ready to participate in systematic approaches. Cluster organizations can differ by leading their members actively, when respecting all isolated dimensions of assignment. This can lead towards a cooperation base enhancing the potential for innovation and new product development (NPD).Research limitations/implicationsThe illustrative example indicates a good fit to clusters without a dominant anchor firm. The generic framework was deliberated on cross-sectional perspective as satisfactory to be applied to different sectors in developing economies.Practical implicationsThis paper helps clusters and small organizations to upgrade for innovation. Furthermore, it delivers a strategic tool supporting organizational transformation, preventing the price trap as well.Originality/valueThis approach is focussing on multi-criteria assignment across cluster members, upgrading it to a united organization. It delivers a strategic framework for cluster management, building a collaboration environment leading to innovation and NPD.