Note: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Responding to environmental shocks: Insights on global airlines’ responses to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019/2020 ushered in a new turbulent and chaotic global environment where governments not only placed temporary restrictions on people’s movements, but also mandated limits on business activities. However, lacking in the contemporary scholarly discourse is a deeper understanding of how businesses respond to such pandemics. In this research note (RN), a conceptual framework of firms’ responses is advanced. Using the global airline industry, the analysis delineates a host of internally generated and externally imposed firms’ strategic and tactical responses to the pandemic including in-flight service changes, flight cancellations, seeking emergency aids and financial supports, and firm closures. The analysis demonstrates that in responding to the crisis, many airlines sought to minimise erosion of long-developed knowledge, market capabilities, route networks, access to airports, customer base and relationships/trust with customers prior to COVID-19 to equip them for recovery. The wider implications for academics, managers and governments are outlined as the effects of COVID-19 continue to unfold.