Crisis management consists of a number of capabilities which evaluate crisis signals and implements actions to minimize damage. Both identifying these capabilities and understanding their influence on perceptions of brand attitude, credibility and intention to purchase offers significant theoretical and managerial insights. This paper, therefore, proposes a cause-effects model of perceived airline crisis management capabilities and their influence on brand credibility, brand attitude and purchase intention in the aftermath of large-scale Taiwanese airline strikes. Using data collected via an online survey, the study makes three contributions to airline crisis management. It, firstly, identifies a set of crisis management capabilities for strike-hit airlines, secondly, it offers a causal chain of perceived airline crisis management capabilities, brand attitude, brand credibility and purchase intention. Furthermore, it the full mediating effects of brand credibility and brand attitude in the causal chain. This study, thus, makes conceptual and methodological contributions to crisis management and purchase intention research and provides practical insights into effective airline crisis management and brand management for the airline industry. •A cause-effects model of perceived airline crisis management capabilities was proposed.•Causal chain of airline crisis management capabilities, brand attitude, brand credibility and intention was proved.•A full mediating effect (Brand credibility mediate crisis management capability and intention) was identified.•A partial mediating effect (Brand attitude mediate crisis management capability and intention) was identified.•Conceptual contributions and practical insights into effective airline crisis management for the airline industry are provided.