The Impact of Incivility on the Sustainability of the Aviation Industry: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion and Turnover Intentions Among Cabin Crew Members

Customer incivility is a significant challenge in the aviation sector, with important implications for cabin crew well-being and workforce sustainability. This study investigates the influence of incivility on the emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions of cabin crew members. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 300 cabin crew members. A purposive sampling technique was used. The study draws on Conservation of Resources and Affective Events Theory as its theoretical foundation. The results show that incivility and mindfulness significantly influence emotional exhaustion. Mindfulness was found to mediate the relationship between incivility and emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was found to have a significant effect on turnover intention. Perceived overqualification significantly moderates the association between emotional exhaustion and turnover intention. Surface acting was found to have no effect on the relationship between incivility and mindfulness. These findings have direct implications for workforce sustainability in aviation, as turnover intention is a validated precursor to actual employee departure, which affects organizational stability, increases operational costs, and degrades service continuity.