Airport Service Quality Research Articles

Evaluating Airport Service Quality Based on the Statistical and Predictive Analysis of Skytrax Passenger Reviews

This study leverages approximately 7500 reviews from Skytrax to explore the determinants of airport service quality and their influence on passenger recommendations. The dataset includes various features such as terminal cleanliness, terminal seating, terminal signs, food and beverages, airport shopping, WiFi connectivity, and airport staff. The research employs a comprehensive methodology encompassing statistical data analysis, predictive modelling, and interaction effects analysis. The descriptive analysis of time-series data highlighted trends and fluctuations in service quality and recommendations, providing insights into temporal dynamics. Multiple machine learning models, including logistic regression, Random Forest, SVM, KNN, Gradient Boosting, and Neural Networks, were developed in this study and cross-validated for airport recommendation based on Skytrax’s online reviews. Among others, Gradient Boosting emerged as the most accurate model with an 88.15% mean accuracy. Interaction effects revealed significant combined influences, such as terminal cleanliness and terminal seating, on passenger recommendations. This multifaceted approach offers robust insights into factors influencing airport recommendations and guides improvements in airport management to enhance passenger satisfaction. Future work will focus on a general-purpose machine learning framework and its toolbox development for airport service quality analysis based on online reviews from various sources.

Does the Airport Servicescape Affect the Relationship between Airport Outcome Quality and Passenger Satisfaction?

Airports promote passenger satisfaction with superior service. Airport outcome quality (AOQ) is a part of Airport Service Quality (ASQ), which impacts daily service performance. In this study, the airport servicescape influenced the link between airport outcome quality and passenger satisfaction. The model was developed using the Hierarchical Service Quality Model (HSQM) and Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory, incorporating two direct and moderated paths. The study utilized a convenience sampling technique and conducted a cross-sectional survey of international travellers at critical airports in Tanzania. 389 respondents were evaluated using the PLS-SEM technique. Significant enhancements have been made in the direct and moderated relationships between airport outcome quality and passenger satisfaction. The airport environment was more effectively managed than the direct route. The environment of an airport improves the satisfaction of international airport passengers. Moreover, these findings have implications for theory, methodology, management, and policy. The study enhances the partial least squares research methodologies, specifically for higher-order structures. The study shows airport architects and officials that the airport servicescape is crucial for improving customer satisfaction at airport terminals.

Online review data analytics to explore factors affecting consumers’ airport recommendations

PurposeThe main objective of this study is to determine the factors that have the greatest impact on travelers' opinions of airports.Design/methodology/approach11,656 customer reviews for 649 airports around the world were gathered following the COVID-19 outbreak from the website that rates airport quality. The dataset was examined using hierarchical regression, PLS-SEM, and the unsupervised Bayesian algorithm-based PSEM in order to verify the hypothesis.FindingsThe results showed that people’s intentions to recommend airports are significantly influenced by their opinions of how well the servicescape, staff, and services are.Practical implicationsBy encouraging air travelers to have positive intentions toward recommending the airports, this research offers airport managers decision-support implications for how to improve airport service quality. This will increase the likelihood of retaining more passengers.Originality/valueThis study also suggests a quick-to-implement visual decision-making mechanism based on PSEM that is simple to understand.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of airport service quality in China

Airport service quality (ASQ) is essential for determining the quality of ground civil aviation services. In this study, ASQ was assessed using the monthly airport aviation complaint data from 2015 to 2019 of 196 airports in mainland China (except for airports in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, which are not included in the statistics). First, we constructed a seasonal index of aviation complaints to evaluate and compare the overall temporal characteristics of ASQ in China. Second, the spatial distribution pattern of ASQ in China was determined using the aviation complaint concentration index and hot spot analysis model. Finally, the major influencing factors and categories of ASQ in China were analyzed considering spatiotemporal dimensions using the correspondence analysis method. The results revealed that there were clear seasonal differences among ASQ in China, with a high–low–low–high distribution during all four seasons. The regional agglomeration trend of airport aviation complaints was obvious, and the spatial difference in ASQ was large. Northern and western China performed better than southern China. Spatiotemporal and influencing factors of ASQ were the most strongly correlated factors in each quarter and region. The predominant source of aviation complaints across all types of airports is related to fundamental services, with check-in services identified as the most impactful category affecting ASQ. This study, based on 60 months of statistical data, offers a comprehensive evaluation of ASQ throughout the entire airport network in mainland China, from the perspective of aviation complaints. Additionally, a systematic ASQ evaluation method and research system encompassing time, space, and elements were established. This framework not only stimulates the improvement and enhancement of ASQ but also provides a theoretical foundation for differentially enhancing ASQ in regional airports. Overall, our results contribute to breaking through the qualitative research thinking system in ASQ research from a theoretical perspective, paving the way for exploring broader research in enhancing the quality of ground civil aviation services.

The role of quality in airport services in passenger satisfaction at Aden Adde International Airport, Mogadishu, Somalia

Service quality is crucial for all service providers operating in the open market across all industries, particularly in the aviation sector, which produces billions of dollars in annual revenue from its services. The level of service quality significantly influences client satisfaction, and conversely, customer happiness reciprocally affects the service provider. In order to attain diverse company objectives, it is imperative to prioritize customer happiness specifically during the process of privatization. The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of airport service quality on customer satisfaction within the context of a privatized airport. Descriptive and correlation analyses were utilized in the study. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered to passengers who embarked from Aden Adde International Airport as part of the study. Subsequently, the data was subjected to analysis utilizing a statistical software program designed for social science software (SPSS). The results of this analysis revealed a robust and positive correlation between Airport customer services and customer happiness. The study additionally revealed that a significant proportion of the airport's passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the services provided by Aden Adde International airport.

Multiclass Sentiment Prediction of Airport Service Online Reviews Using Aspect-Based Sentimental Analysis and Machine Learning

Airport service quality ratings found on social media such as Airline Quality and Google Maps offer invaluable insights for airport management to improve their quality of services. However, there is currently a lack of research analysing these reviews by airport services using sentimental analysis approaches. This research applies multiclass models based on Aspect-Based Sentimental Analysis to conduct a comprehensive analysis of travellers’ reviews, in which the major airport services are tagged by positive, negative, and non-existent sentiments. Seven airport services commonly utilised in previous studies are also introduced. Subsequently, various Deep Learning architectures and Machine Learning classification algorithms are developed, tested, and compared using data collected from Twitter, Google Maps, and Airline Quality, encompassing travellers’ feedback on airport service quality. The results show that the traditional Machine Learning algorithms such as the Random Forest algorithm outperform Deep Learning models in the multiclass prediction of airport service quality using travellers’ feedback. The findings of this study offer concrete justifications for utilising multiclass Machine Learning models to understand the travellers’ sentiments and therefore identify airport services required for improvement.

Predicting passengers’ feedback rate for airport service quality

Airport service quality evaluation is commonly found on social media sites, including Google Maps. The reviews by users of Google Maps are longer in terms of the number of words than those found on Twitter. They also include a rating, whereas those on Twitter need to be labelled. However, they are less well known than those on Twitter amongst researchers who focus on sentimental analysis. This study attempts to fill the gap in the current literature and develops architecture that is based on Long-Short Term Memory Neural Networks and Convolution Neural Networks. The combined model developed receives meta-data, such as the number of words in the review and the number of likes the review receives in addition to the key review words. The two models, the first of which predicts polarity and the second reviews ratings, were tested under several variations of parameters and showed consistency in results. The dataset was collected from Google Maps and focused on two crowded airports in the Arabic Peninsula (Doha and Dubai). They were found to be unbalanced, with positive reviews being more abundant than negative reviews.

Reliable and robust scheduling of airport operation resources by simulation optimization feedback and conflict resolution

Reliable and robust airport flight ground service resources collaborative scheduling has emerged as an issue of major concern at congested airports, which has great significance on airport service quality and operation efficiency. Due to the uncertainty of the service process of multiple vehicles in airport ground operations, the combination of simulation and optimization (sim-opt) techniques has been proven to be an effective means to solve the collaborative scheduling problem. However, existing models still have limitations on the reliability of feasible solutions and the robustness of evaluations. In this work, we developed a conflict resolution based sim-opt framework that combines the search capability of mathematical optimization models with the ability of simulation models to describe uncertainty. The dynamic window is introduced to divide the flight zone into multiple sub-intervals, which allows for iterative search and evaluation of the optimal schedule solution while reducing model calculation time. Additionally, a matching algorithm based on slack and tight constraints is proposed to optimize the possible resource requirements of each vehicle, thereby improving the initial schedule solution’s search depth and reliability. Furthermore, a conflict resolution feedback mechanism between adjacent windows is constructed to optimize the scheduling plan, reducing misjudgment and omission of the optimal solution and enhancing the sim-opt framework’s robustness. Finally, experiments on real airport datasets of three different scales demonstrate that our proposed method efficiently allocates resources with a smaller flight delay time as well as reducing total vehicle cost time during the flight ground service process.

Optimising the management of arriving baggage at a Kuwait Airways passenger terminal using mathematical programming and simulation

Handling luggage systems is a critical component of a passenger terminal’s operations. The proposed study attempts to find the optimal solution for a manually operated terminal concerning the luggage offloading process from arrival flights carried by a limited number of ground handling agents. Handling agents start the offloading process from the aircraft to the cargo luggage containers carried by a cargo car that will take the containers’ trolleys to the cargo area to offload them into the reserved luggage belt carousel. This study aims to improve airport service quality by minimizing the baggage handling process time for arrival flights which leads to minimizing passenger waiting time in the baggage claim area. We proposed both a deterministic and stochastic approach. The integer programming method is provided to minimize the total number of flights assigned to the belt carousel under the realistic constraint of minimizing the luggage load on each belt carousel. Simulation tools were used so that the offloading process could be modeled to study the effects of various parameters such as the number of ground handling agents for different flights with different amounts of luggage.

Comparative Analysis and Construction of Evaluation Indexes of Civil Aviation Service Quality

Scientific and effective evaluation of civil aviation service quality is of great significance to improve customer satisfaction and the main competitiveness of civil aviation enterprises. In combination with the core ideas of the service quality model, this paper compares and analyzes the service quality evaluation process of airports and airlines from the two dimensions of service contents and evaluation indexes on the basis of literature arrangement and summary. Based on the SERVQUAL model and the "China Civil Airport Service Quality Evaluation Index System", the related contents of the system is appropriately revised combined with the characteristics of airport and airline services. To this end, the service quality evaluation indexes of airports and airlines are respectively built. The research shows that there are indeed some differences in five dimensions of evaluation indexes between airports focusing on ground services and airlines responsible for in-flight services. Only when scientific and reasonable evaluation index system for the quality of civil aviation transportation services is established for evaluation in line with the characteristics of civil aviation transportation services in the two scenarios, can the overall service level of passenger transportation in civil aviation industry be upgraded to achieve the high-quality development of civil aviation transportation industry in China.

The Impact of Service Orientation and Airport Service Quality on Passenger Satisfaction and Image: Evidence from Indonesia

Background: Airport service quality and service orientation are important aspects of managing passenger satisfaction and airport image. The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of service orientation and airport service quality on airport image through passenger satisfaction as an intervention variable. Methods: The survey was conducted on 356 passengers at the departure area and lounge. Samples were taken at five major airports in Indonesia, including Soekarno Hatta International Airport. To test the influence of exogenous variables on endogenous variables through intervening variables, a quantitative testing analysis test was carried out using the structural equation model partial least square (SEM-PLS). Result: The research results show that service orientation has a significant and positive effect on airport service quality, passenger satisfaction, and airport image. Moreover, service quality also has a positive effect on passenger satisfaction and the airport’s image. Empirically, passenger satisfaction has been proven to mediate the influence of service quality and service orientation on airport image. It has been proven that airport operators who focus on passengers through service orientation can increase passenger satisfaction and the airport’s image. Conclusions: Focusing on passengers’ needs while at the airport is an important aspect for airport operators who aim to manage their emotions, which encourages passengers to use paid services while in the waiting room. The use of this paid service will directly increase the airport’s aeronautical revenue. Future research needs to consider the influence of image on purchase intention and return to the airport.

Airport service quality perception and flight delays: Examining the influence of psychosituational latent traits of respondents in passenger satisfaction surveys

The service quality of a passenger transport operator can be measured through face-to-face surveys at the terminals or on board. However, the resulting responses may suffer from the influence of the intrinsic aspects of the respondent's personality and emotional context at the time of the interview. This study proposes a methodology to generate and select control variables for these latent psychosituational traits, thus mitigating the risk of omitted variable bias. We developed an econometric model of the determinants of passenger satisfaction in a survey conducted at the largest airport in Latin America, São Paulo GRU Airport. Our focus was on the role of flight delays in the perception of quality. The results of this study confirm the existence of a relationship between flight delays and the global satisfaction of passengers with airports. In addition, favorable evaluations regarding airports' food/beverage concessions and Wi-Fi services, but not their retail options, have a relevant moderating effect on that relationship. Furthermore, dissatisfaction arising from passengers' interaction with the airline can have negative spillover effects on their satisfaction with the airport. We also found evidence of blame-attribution behavior, in which only delays of internal origin, such as failures in flight management, are significant, indicating that passengers overlook weather-related flight delays. Finally, the results suggest that an empirical specification that does not consider the latent psychosituational traits of passengers produces a relevant overestimation of the absolute effect of flight delays on passenger satisfaction.

The Role of Airport Service Quality Toward Passenger Electronic Word-Of-Mouth

The Role of Airport Service Quality Toward Passenger Electronic Word-Of-Mouth

Beyond surveys: leveraging automated text analysis of travellers’ online reviews to enhance service quality and willingness to recommend

ABSTRACT Airports are essential to the global economy, providing significant revenue and driving regional growth. In order to remain competitive and achieve sustainable development, airports must continuously monitor and improve service quality. To this end, understanding traveller perceptions of their experiences is important. While traditional survey-based methods are beneficial, managers are increasingly looking for alternative ways of collecting feedback, such as online reviews. Automated text analysis provides a cost- and time-effective technique with which to analyse large datasets of unsolicited online reviews, providing managers with strategic insights to enhance service quality. This study explores the potential of supplementing traditional airport service quality monitoring methods with automated text analyses to better understand traveller feedback and improve service quality. The results provide new methods to measure airport service quality, offering a fresh perspective on customers’ satisfaction with service quality experiences, and highlighting key strategic implications that can help organisations gain a competitive advantage.

Assessment of Airport Service Quality at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (Makia) Kano

Airports are a hub for aviation activities which support Airlines operations. Airport service quality measurement is required to promote satisfaction level among Air travellers by continuously improving the defected services. The study purpose is to assess Airports service quality at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano. Using purposive sampling, MAKIA was picked out of 31 Airports in Nigeria. Cochran formulae was used to determine a total of 384 questionnaires which were administered to air travellers boarding and onboarding passengers at the terminal building. The Airport service quality measurement scale was adapted from SERVPERF model with 22 service attributes believed that air travellers attached more importance to. The study outcome showed that the average Airport service quality score was 2.701. In addition, the results revealed that there exists a statistically significant relationship between service quality and air traveller satisfaction on; reliable and updated electronic information system (P-value=0.004), Airport safety and security services (P-value= 0.000), Prompt service from airline operation (P-value= 0.001) and Provision of assistance to minor (P-value = 0.002). This study therefore concludes that Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport offered a bad service to air travellers. The study recommends among others that, Airport staff courtesy should be improved through subjecting their staff to behavioural management training by the top management. service quality is an area which both Airport management and airlines can increase their revenue through increasing patronages. Therefore, a decisive measure by the Airport authority to improve the service offered will increase the service quality rating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The explanatory power of the SKYTRAX’s airport rating system: Implications for airport management

This article presents a study of the explanatory power of SKYTRAX's airport rating system, using data from 423 airports for statistical analysis. The study utilizes ordinal regression and Maximum Likelihood Structural Equation Modeling (ML SEM) to propose and test several models. The study results show that only three service quality components based on SKYTRAX have significant explanatory power, i.e., terminal comfort, wayfinding signage, and airports' food and beverage outlets. The study findings have significant implications for airport management and key stakeholders. By prioritizing these service quality components, airport managers can improve operational efficiency and increase service quality, which can attract new investments. The study highlights the importance of addressing the vital elements of airport service quality, which can lead to time and cost savings in problem-solving processes and procedures. The findings also have implications for academia, providing a basis for further research on the importance of airport rating systems for customer satisfaction and service quality.

Analysis of Departure Waiting Room Terminal Capacity on Passenger Volume at Patimura Ambon International Airport, Maluku Province

Departure terminal capacity to passenger volume at Patimura Ambon International Airport, Maluku Province in 2021 has experienced an increase in the number of passengers, won the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award, in the airport category with a capacity of less than 2 million per year, from this statement the researcher wants to conduct a wide capacity analysis waiting room terminal, seating facilities, and passenger volume, whether the research results need development or not. The data in this study used secondary data, namely data on the number of passengers in the last three years, and primary data, namely data on the number of existing passenger departure terminal seats. Data analysis used descriptive statistical methods based on the formula in SKEP/347/XII/99, Director General of Civil Aviation. The results of the study stated that the area of the departure waiting room was 220 m² based on SKEP 77/VI/2005 Director General of Civil Aviation. The capacity of the departure waiting room at Gate-1 to gate-5, gates 1 and 2 can accommodate passengers, gate-3 = 271 passengers, gate-4 = 267 passengers and gate-5 = 247 passengers. The need for seats based on SKEP 77/VI/2005 Director General of Civil Aviation is 828 seats. The results of the analysis of the capacity of the Departure Waiting Room Terminal for Passenger Volume at Patimura Ambon International Airport, Maluku Province, were declared to be appropriate based on SKEP 77/VI/205 of the Director General of Civil Aviation.

Airport Performance - a multifarious review of literature

This paper reviews literature covering three broad categories of airport performance: productivity and efficiency, financial performance, and service quality and passenger satisfaction. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has become the overwhelmingly dominant method for airport productivity and efficiency studies, in large part due to the lack of publicly accessible data. The effects of ownership and regulations on airport efficiency appear to be of the most interest to researchers. However, sustainability has increasingly become one of the top priorities for many airports, thus we start to see more research incorporate environmental factors in evaluating airport productivity and efficiency. In contrast to the vast volume of literature on airport productivity and efficiency, published works on airport financial performance are scarce with most simply comparing various ratios reflecting unit revenues, unit cost and some forms of profitability, which indicates an indisputable need for more research in the area. There has been a rapid growth in literature on airport service quality over the last decade, mostly focusing on examining drivers for passenger satisfaction. Advancements in data mining and text mining techniques have led to increasing use of user generated contents from web-based platforms instead of traditional questionnaire surveys as data sources by studies of airport service quality and passenger satisfaction.

Analysis of Public Service Quality for Waiting Room Facilities at Yogyakarta International Airport

The purpose of this study is to explain that the waiting room infrastructure at Yogyakarta International Airport is able to facilitate the needs of passengers while in the airport ground area. In addition, facilities that accommodate the needs of passengers are able to create an impression of good feedback so that the airport can improve the quality of airport services. Apart from that, it is also useful with the impact of the spread of economic activities that can be influenced by the existence of Kulon Progo which is close to Glagah Beach, this triggers ecotourism and introduces tourism that is close to Yogyakarta International Uda Airport. The availability of transportation facilities and infrastructure also adds to the primary network of the economy. This study uses a qualitative method. Data collection techniques used to find data by using a system or method of interviews, observation and documentation. Public services and airport facilities are one unit in achieving passenger satisfaction in the airport area. With a building structure that is typical of Yogyakarta custom, therefore it can be a characteristic of Yogyakarta's cultural diversity, becoming iconic or the center of attention for souvenirs. The results of the research are based on the results of interviews and observations of objects that have a positive impression or the Yogyakarta International Airport facilities really support operational activities in the waiting room. In addition, the results of the observations that the researchers made were that the waiting room facilities had good availability and infrastructure.

A Three-Stage Hybrid SEM-BN-ANN Approach for Analyzing Airport Service Quality

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted the aviation industry worldwide. Several restrictions and regulations have been implemented to prevent the virus’s spread and maintain airport operations. To recover the trustworthiness of air travelers in the new normality, improving airport service quality (ASQ) is necessary, ultimately increasing passenger satisfaction in airports. This research focuses on the relationship between passenger satisfaction and the ASQ dimensions of airports in Thailand. A three-stage analysis model was conducted by integrating structural equation modeling, Bayesian networks, and artificial neural networks to identify critical ASQ dimensions that highly impact overall satisfaction. The findings reveal that airport facilities, wayfinding, and security are three dominant dimensions influencing overall passenger satisfaction. This insight could help airport managers and operators recover passenger satisfaction, increase trustworthiness, and maintain the efficiency of the airports in not only this severe crisis but also in the new normality.