By : JD
Jordan Daily- Tamara Nidal Al-Masri has successfully defended her Master’s thesis as part of the International MBA at IAE Paris - Sorbonne Business School, examining how structurally constrained airlines build resilience amid persistent industry volatility.
Her research, seen by Jordan Daily comes as the global aviation sector continues to grapple with rising uncertainty. Airlines face ongoing pressures from fluctuating fuel costs, uneven post-pandemic demand recovery, and geopolitical disruptions, all of which have kept profit margins thin- typically between 1% and 3%.
Almasri’s study focuses on a subset of carriers described as “structurally constrained,” typically full-service airlines with limited fleet size, narrow route networks, and restricted access to capital. These airlines, often based in volatile regions, experience shocks more intensely than larger global competitors due to their concentrated revenue streams and reduced strategic flexibility.
The research highlights how such constraints are particularly evident in the Middle East and neighboring regions, where airspace closures, diplomatic tensions, and sudden disruptions frequently force operational changes. These can include rerouting flights, extending travel times, and increasing fuel consumption- costs that smaller carriers struggle to absorb.
Unlike major international airlines that can spread risk across extensive global networks, constrained carriers often depend heavily on a limited number of key routes. Disruptions to these routes can have significant financial consequences, underscoring their structural vulnerability.
Masri’s findings suggest that resilience in this context is less about scale and more about strategic adaptability. Airlines must continuously reconfigure resources, adjust network strategies, and rely on organizational flexibility to sustain operations under ongoing uncertainty.
Her work also points to a gap in existing research, which has largely focused on well-resourced carriers in stable markets. By contrast, structurally constrained airlines offer insight into how firms operate when managerial options are limited and volatility is persistent.
The study concludes that these airlines’ survival depends on their ability to embed resilience into core strategy- leveraging intangible assets, adaptive decision-making, and dynamic capability development rather than relying on scale or financial strength.
As industry conditions remain uncertain, the findings contribute to broader discussions on strategy under constraint, with implications extending beyond aviation to other sectors facing similar instability.
