ESTABLISHING A COMMERCIAL AIR ROUTE BASED ON MORE THAN JUST TECHNICAL VARIABLES: THE CASE OF BARRETOS CITY, BRAZIL

Abstract

The city of Barretos in Brazil has the largest cancer treatment center in Latin America, the Barretos Hospital of Cancer (HCB). The hospital provides medical care to about 4,000 daily. These patients come from about 1,600 cities, approximately 30% of the cities in Brazil. In terms of demand and initial structural conditions, Barretos is qualified to receive commercial flights, however, there are no regular flights to the city. Theoretical propositions are made on corporate social responsibility disregard nontechnical variables related to air transport operations, including the value of human life. The results of the present case study on the city of Barretos, with reference to the HCB, show the existence of initial favorable airport conditions for the implementation of a commercial airline in the city, such as runway extension, for example. Additionally, there are initiatives in the mobilization of public opinion, such as the Flight Against Cancer campaign, which can guide the adoption of nontechnical variables toward establishing a commercial a irline in the city based on the value of human life and the reduction of human suffering. Managerial implications are presented, such as the redefinition of the metrics used in corporate social responsibility, the availability of public and private grants sharing agendas alternating between airlines and the establishment of a regional multimodal logistics platform.