Flight schedules under partnership: The effects of capacity purchase agreements on airline schedule buffers

Jules Yimga

Journal of Air Transport Management, 2025, vol. 129, issue C

Abstract: This study examines how capacity purchase agreements (CPAs) between major U.S. network carriers and their regional airline partners affect schedule padding practices. Using a large dataset of over 7 million flight-level observations from 2023 and distinguishing between flights operated directly by mainline carriers and those operated by regional partners under branded CPA arrangements, we assess whether CPAs incentivize airlines to pad schedules more aggressively. Results consistently show that CPA-operated flights have significantly more schedule padding than mainline-operated flights, with the effect being most pronounced in long-haul markets. These findings amplify the dual-edged nature of such partnerships: while CPAs support network connectivity and operational reliability, the systematically longer scheduled block times may reduce aircraft utilization.

Keywords: Capacity purchase agreements; Schedule padding; Regional airlines; Airline operations; Block time (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699725001395
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:129:y:2025:i:c:s0969699725001395

DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102876

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Air Transport Management is currently edited by Anne Graham

More articles in Journal of Air Transport Management from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().