Cultural and political attitudes towards paying to support airport sustainability projects

Abstract

The current research explores different factors affecting individuals' support for airports implementing environmentally-friendly programs. Using social identity theory, the researchers manipulated participants' identification with one of the two major political parties to explore the relationship between political affiliation and support for environmentally-friendly initiatives. Participants (recruited from the USA and India) were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which 12 different sustainable aviation projects would be implemented at their local airport. Implementation of these projects would include a $15 fee to their ticket price. Participants were then asked to indicate their support for the additional fee for each of the 12 programs. Results from this study indicate significant differences in acceptance of sustainable aviation programs based on a variety of political and cultural factors. In general, liberals/progressives and Indians were more willing to pay the additional fee, regardless of the type of program.