A content analysis of airline mission statements: Changing trends and contemporary components

Mission statements have an important bearing on business and in the airline industry such statements inform and connect international and heterogeneous stakeholders. While research was conducted on airline mission statements over a decade ago, the industry has since been transformed with the rise of new global carriers and changing consumer trends. The purpose of this study is to examine current airline mission statements to update findings from previous studies. The analysis evaluates the content of mission statements from 79 passenger airlines from around the world. The outcomes reveal products/services, customers, and location/markets as the three most prevalent components. Additionally, it appears mentions of safety in mission statements are increasingly apparent as airlines seek to ensure trust and confidence among consumers. The results and conclusions build on a framework of ten mission statement components and make comparisons between airlines and regions of the world.