Strategic Alliances in the Aviation Industry: An Analysis of Turkish Airlines Experience

SUMMARY

This paper investigates antecedents of success/failure in strategic alliances, which is implemented by airline companies as a response to globalization and liberal government policies. The relationship between Turkish Airlines and Qualiflyer Group, the largest airline alliance in Europe until its collapse in 2001, has been taken as a case study to present the question in terms of matching the goals, partner selection, alliance management, and areas of cooperation. Two factors at the macro-level and four factors at the micro-level are found to be important to succeed in strategic airline alliances.

KEYWORDS:

• Strategic alliances
• alliance performance
• aviation industry
• qualiflyer group
• Turkish airlines