Assessment of passengers' satisfaction on service quality of Arik airline at Nnamdi Azikwe international airport, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Excellent service quality can increase customer retention and inspire recommendations thus, allowing airlines to distinguish themselves from their competitors and retain existing passengers. In order for airlines to survive and increase their competitiveness, airlines must provide high-quality services to passengers so as to set themselves apart from their competitors. Domestically, the number of passengers using air transportation is increasing, worsening the situation because capacity is not being scaled up to accommodate these rising demands. The failure of airline to operate on a scheduled time frame, results in delays, has been a big issue. This study is among the very few to consider passengers’ satisfaction to quality of service provided from a single airline provider in Nigeria. Arik airline was selected for this study because it is one of the most preferred airlines by passengers and a major key player in Nigeria aviation industry. 500 questionnaires were purposively administered to passengers patronizing Arik Air, while, only 390 questionnaires were properly filled and returned valid. SERVQUAL technique was utilized to separate service quality into five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The gap score analysis was used to ascertain service gaps. While, Cronbach's alpha was adopted to ascertain the reliability and validity of data. Findings from the gap score indicated that passengers’ expectations surpassed the actual service perceived (i.e., Tangibility = -1.46, Reliability= -1.614, Responsiveness= -1.43, Assurance=-1.765 and Empathy=- 1.254). Multiple linear regression was used to assessed the impact of service quality on passenger’s satisfaction showing coefficient of determination R2 (79%), ANOVA result shows F = 103.238, p = .000. The following recommendations were made based on the findings; Airlines should also develop and maintain passenger-oriented marketing strategies to improve affordability and repeat patronage. Crews and Airline staff can leverage the leisure time in taking surveys from the travelers and seek feedback on their in flight experience