The relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction of airline passengers : an empirical study on Air Malta plc.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if there is an existent relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction of the Maltese regional air carrier - Air Malta plc. The airline industry has developed a lot in recent years and the quality of the service offered has become a crucial factor in determining the competitiveness and existence of an airline. It was unexpectedly surprising to find that there is a lack of research on the airline service sector at a global level and the Maltese scenario is no exception. In relation to this, the author set out to gather primary data from passengers that use Air Malta’s service by creating a SERVQUAL survey questionnaire based on the refined model developed by Parasuraman et al. in 1991. These questionnaires were distributed to 160 passengers but only 132 were correctly filled. The findings fulfilled the main aim of this study by observing if there is a significant difference between the service quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, empathy and assurance) and customer satisfaction. One will be able to understand that overall, passengers choosing to fly with Air Malta are not satisfied with the service provisioned since the gap scores came out as negative. Based on this, a set of recommendations are given.