Toward environmental sustainability: an empirical study on airports efficiency

TL;DR

This paper empirically examines how investments in environmental sustainability policies influence airport efficiency, highlighting that commitment to ecological transition programs positively impacts performance.

Contribution

It provides the first empirical evidence linking airport performance to environmental management efforts using non-parametric and Tobit regression methods.

Findings

Ecological transition programs improve airport efficiency.

Airport performance is positively associated with environmental policy commitment.

Empirical analysis conducted on Italian airports.

Abstract

The transition to more environmentally sustainable production processes and managerial practices is an increasingly important topic. Many industries need to undergo radical change to meet environmental sustainability requirements; the tourism industry is no exception. In this respect, a particular aspect that needs further attention is the relationship between airport performances and investments in environmental sustainability policies. This work represents a first attempt to provide empirical evidences about this relationship. Through the application of a non-parametrical method, we first assess the efficiency of the Italian airports industry. Secondly, we investigated the relationship between airports performance and management commitment toward the ecological transition using a Tobit regression model. The results show that airports adherence to formal multi-year ecological transition programs has a positive and consistent impact on their performance.