Factors triggering customer willingness to travel on environmentally responsible electric airplanes

Abstract

Utilizing a quantitative methodological approach, the present study presented and investigated an integrated model embracing environmental corporate social responsibility, image, emotional attachment, attitude, and moral norms in order to explicate airline patrons' intention formation for adopting eco-friendly electric airplanes. Our findings revealed that the proposed associations among research constructs were all significant, and that image, emotional attachment, attitude, and moral norms significantly mediated the effect of environmental corporate social responsibility on intention. In addition, the salient role of image of electric airplanes in building intention was uncovered. Despite the importance of greening airline products in the aviation industry, electric airplanes are a topic that has barely been explored. The results of this study can help airline practitioners and researchers to understand consumer readiness and willingness to adopt such eco-friendly alternatives to conventional air-flights. Implications are discussed.