A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs - are airlines any different?

Merkert, Rico; Cowie, Jonathan

Abstract

This paper applies a top-down approach to transaction cost measurement to identify the size of the transaction sector within types of transport firms in Britain, including rail and bus operating firms but also and importantly of airlines. Whilst this cross-sector analysis shows differences for a snapshot in time, it also reveals changes of transaction costs over time. Our results suggest that airlines employ a relatively large number of transaction staff. However, in contrast to the train and bus operators, airlines in Britain have managed to reduce the level of their transaction costs substantially over time both in relation to output and operating cost.

Citation

Merkert, R., & Cowie, J. (2012). A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs - are airlines any different?. Journal of Air Transport Management, 22, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.002

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2012
• Deposit Date: Feb 4, 2013
• Print ISSN: 0969-6997
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Pages: 3-8
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.002
• Keywords: Air transportation; mathematical modelling; transport economics; United Kingdom
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/5845
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.002