INVESTIGATING AIRPORT SERVICE QUALITY: THE CASE OF KING ABDULAZIZ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate airport quality service and to identify the most significant factors that would have the highest impact on departing passengers’ satisfaction. The case of King Abdul- Aziz International airport, which has a reputation of unsatisfactory service level, was considered in this study. This study is an exploratory research. An online questionnaire was used in order to collect departing passengers’ perceptions of the airport service quality. After that, an interview was held with the airport’s service operations manager in order to discuss the questionnaire findings. Responses from 100 traveling passengers as well as the outcomes of the interview suggested that the main factors that influence the passengers’ service quality perceptions are furnishings, airport employees’ performance and attitude as well as the availability of leisure activities and maintenance activities of the passengers’ bodies and possessions. Airport mangers’ proper awareness of the value of airport service quality appeared also to be one of the key components that impacts airport service quality. The obtained results reflect that respondents were most of the time not satisfied with the quality level of the surveyed dimension and suggested several recommendations and valuable advice to help improve ASQ and provide travellers with a better traveling experience.