Managing one brand, multiple operators: Conceptualising and comparing multi-AOC strategies in European airline groups

• One-brand, multi-AOC (OB-MA) strategies widely adopted in the airline industry. • Paper develops strategy framework to capture and compare OB-MA strategies. • Framework consists of 33-items along three dimensions of corporate logic, value chain configuration, and assets. • Framework applied to nine European airline groups. • Findings show that OB-MA enhances regulatory flexibility and competitiveness but also create integration and governance challenges. Many airline groups operate multiple Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) under a single brand – a one-brand, multi-AOC (OB-MA) strategy. This study develops and validates a 33-item framework to systematically capture and compare OB-MA strategies among European airlines across three dimensions: corporate logic, value chain configuration, and assets. Applying the framework reveals that airlines address the tensions inherent in multi-AOC operations by centralising decision-making, standardising procedures, and offering unified customer experiences. Yet, the specific design of OB-MA strategies varies according to the circumstances of each airline group, including factors such as corporate heritage, the acquisition of existing AOCs, national regulatory environments, and strategic objectives at the time of establishment. The findings show that OB-MA strategies can enhance regulatory flexibility and competitiveness but also create integration and governance challenges. The study conceptualises OB-MA as a distinct airline strategy and provides a practical toolkit for scholars and practitioners to analyse and refine such configurations.