Strategic alliances between airlines and airports-theoretical assessment and practical evidence

Strategic alliances are now widespread. This paper shifts the focus from alliances among airlines toward strategic alliances involving passenger airlines and airports. Following a conceptual path analyzing motives, potential benefits and problems, potential fields of cooperation are identified along with three basic classes of airline-airport alliances. Capacity-based, marketing-based, and security based cooperation models are assessed with regard to benefits for the participating airline and airport partners. This expands the existing literature that has largely neglected the airline-airport relationship and its potential for developing their respective competitive strategies. The case of the alliance between Lufthansa and Munich airport serves as an illustration.