PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategies and competitive advantages of Emirate Airlines that have led to exceptional performance while the overall airline industry globally has faced multibillion‐dollar losses in 2009.Design/methodology/approachThe authors' professional experience, extensive literature review, and personal communications with selected personnel of Emirate Airlines on the subject provided the foundation for this research.FindingsAs the global business environment becomes increasingly competitive, the airline industry has also had to respond to the current business scenario, while facing devastating falling demands, shattered consumer confidence, and collapsing yields. However, in 2009, Emirate Airlines reported phenomenal growth and astounding profits while their rivals faced agonizing losses. This paper explores and examines the competitive advantage of Emirate Airlines. The major finding is that the formulation and implementation of appropriate strategies has led to the exceptional performance, profitability, and success of Emirate Airlines.Practical implicationsThe competitive strategies – such as operational strategies, generic strategies, intensive strategies, and diversification strategies – can be helpful for firms to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals. Also, the ability to leverage, innovate, and pioneer new ideas, as well as a visionary management team, are essential for exceptional performance of an organization.Originality/valueThe paper provides a model for strategically managing the performance of an aspiring firm, even though the entire industry is facing distressing circumstances.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the direct economic impacts of the world’s top five busiest airports in 2018 as they contribute to the economic well-being of the larger communities they serve. This study uses a descriptive case-study methodology since the direct economic impacts of the world’s top five busiest airports are going to be studied in a case-by-case with an intention of reporting the research findings that are not related to specific variables. Amongst the 17,678 commercial service airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (USA), Beijing Capital International Airport (Peoples Republic of China), Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates), Los Angeles International Airport (USA), and Tokyo Haneda International Airport (Japan) have been ranked respectively as the top five busiest airports in the world on the basis of passenger volume handled in 2018. The research findings indicate that these airports have tremendously benefited their respective communities in terms of employment generation, income generation, and total direct economic impacts. These airports have generated a total of $181.4 billion worth of direct economic benefits to their respective communities and regions.

Understanding the economic characteristics of the U.S. airline industry, assessing the degree of competition/rivalry among the competing airline businesses in the U.S. airline industry, and (3) making recommendations to the airlines and to the consumers of air transportation are the primary objectives of this research study. The authors analyze the rivalry among major U.S. airlines operating in the domestic market using datasets extracted from Bureau of Transportation Statistics for operations during a 12-month period ending in May 2019. Amongst the 17 major U.S. airlines, whose annual operational revenue is over $1 billion, a set of top-five airlines has been identified using the percentage of their marketshare. The research findings indicate that these five major airlines have an intense rivalry in the U.S. domestic market in terms of number of markets served, number of departures made, number of passengers transported, amount of cargo carried, load factor, revenue and cost of operations, profit and loss, and net income earned. Hence, these airlines put pressure on one another and limit each other’s profit potential.