Türkiye’deki Charter/Tarifesiz Havayollarının Rekabet Yaklaşımının Miles ve Snow’un Rekabet Tipolojisine Göre İncelenmesi
Analysis of Competition Approach of Charter Airlines In Turkey According to The Miles and Snow’s Competitive Typology
Research Problem: The air transportation sector is one of the most strategic and vital sectors of the country in terms of economy (foreign trade, foreign-based income, etc.) and especially tourism; so it is critical that the industry be competitive and remain competitive both in the domestic and global markets. Nevertheless, the question of how Turkish airline companies deal with national and international competition and how they determine their competitive strategies is uncertain and has not been adequately addressed in the sectoral or academic context. There is also no clear and comprehensive literature in this regard.
Research Question: What are the competitive approaches of the charter/unscheduled airlines carrying passengers in Turkey?
Methodology: In the framework of this study, all charter airlines (Freebird, Corendon, and Tailwind) carrying passengers certified by Turkish General Directorate of Civil Aviation were included in the sample. In the survey, the data were gathered through qualitative research by interviewing senior executives of the airlines with structured questions. The secondary data used for the introduction of airlines were obtained from the internet sites of airlines.
Results and Conclusions: As a result of the interviews, it was concluded that an airline company appeared as Analyzer and the other two as Defenders in terms of competitive approaches according to the Miles and Snow Competitive Typology. Charter airlines operating in passenger transportation in the Turkish air transport sector do not follow the Prospector competition strategies and do not reflect the characteristics of leading strategies. The main reason of not having Prospector strategy in the sector might be Turkey’s geopolitical and geostrategic position. X charter airline has a target of 75% retail sales (seat only) in its 10-year vision of airline operations beyond being a charter airline in the aviation sector. At the same time, it has growth targets by increasing aircraft numbers every year. Because of these reasons, X airline company was revealed as Analyzer in the result of the research while the other two charter airlines show all aspects of the Defender competitive approach due to their determination to maintain their existing structure as a stable.