AIRPORT SERVICE QUALITY AND PASSENGER'S SATISFACTION IN MARGARET EKPO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ABSTRACT

This research examined the airport service quality and the passenger’s satisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. The survey research was used in this study to sample the opinion of respondents. This method involved random selection of respondents who were administered with questionnaires. Relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed. The target population of the study comprised all the staff of Margret EkpoInternation Airport, Calabar, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. The questionnaire administered was three hundred and ten (310) copies and three hundred copies (300) retrieved which constitute the sample size. The descriptive and analytical approach was adopted using Chi-square to test and analyze the hypotheses earlier stated. The result revealed that there is a significant impact of service quality on passenger’s satisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. The finding of the study also reveals that delay in the time of the flight is one of the causes of passenger’s dissatisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. The findings of the study also reveal that there is a significant relationship between service quality and passenger’s satisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. The finding of the study also reveals that non-challant attitude of some customer care is one of the causes of passenger’s dissatisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. The findings of the study reveal that responsiveness is one of the service quality characteristics Airport service quality that promotes passenger’s satisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport. It was therefore concluded that airport service quality significantly have effect on the passenger’s satisfaction in Margaret Ekpo International airport.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A significant rise in accessibility at many tourist places has greatly aided today's boom in worldwide travel (Duval, 2007). More tourists were able to go to distant locations around the world thanks to recent advancements in transportation infrastructure and technology. The system of air travel is also at the heart of this evolution. The primary mechanism of international tourism contact is now air travel(Duval, 2007).

Kasseter (2013) pointed out that in 2012, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recorded an all-time high in the number of foreign tourists arriving, with over 1 billion arriving in only one year, the majority of whom used air travel. Given that air access is the primary network service for accessibility and connection, assessing the state of the aviation industry has become crucial in the modern day(Widarsyah, 2013).

Contrarily, the service industry has always been tightly linked to customer happiness and service quality (Mansor et al, 2012). According to Murasiranwa et al. (2012) (quoted by Parasuraman et al., 1985), the philosophy of service quality has been the focus of numerous conceptual and empirical studies since its start in the late 1970s. It has also become a prominent strategic theme in services marketing research. Companies that wish to develop and remain competitive must comprehend the importance of service quality. Delivering high-quality service is the key to maintaining a competitive advantage in today's competitive environment (Angelova&Zekiri, 2011:1).

        Excellent customer service is one of an airport's greatest strengths in the current competitive market, according to the Airports Council International information brief from 2008. Customer service can be a deciding factor in the success of an entire organization. There are several factors that can assist an airport grow its clientele. Delivering high-quality service is essential for maintaining a competitive advantage in today's competitive environment. Every organization's profitability is greatly influenced by customer happiness. Every successful business is built on happy customers because they generate repeat business, brand loyalty, and favorable word of mouth. Numerous studies have examined how customer happiness affects retention, loyalty, and repeat business.

Many experts have noted that happy customers tend to tell about their experiences to about five or six other people. Contrarily, unhappy customers are more likely to spread the word about their bad experience with a product or service to 10 additional individuals. Customers who have had their expectations met by a company's performance are said to be satisfied with the experience. Numerous academics and researchers stress the significance of consumer satisfaction. According to many academics, client happiness increases an organization's profitability. The positive relationship between customer happiness, loyalty, and retention is also supported by a large body of empirical data.

The importance of providing and managing service quality, which results in customer happiness, is now recognized by all businesses. Customers' prior expectations have the biggest impact on whether the service quality meets or exceeds their expectations.Hansemark and Albinson (2004) assert that "satisfaction is an overall customer attitude toward a service provider, or an emotional reaction to the difference between what customers expect and what they receive, regarding the fulfillment of specific demands, goals, or desires." Contrarily, customer loyalty refers to a strongly held intention to continue using or purchasing a chosen good or service in the future despite outside factors and marketing initiatives that can encourage switching behavior (Oliver, 2000). Employees "who can modify themselves to the personality of the guest" will be critical to the perceived effectiveness of such interactions, according to Solomon (2007). Customer service is crucial to an organization's ability to create income and revenue from the standpoint of an overall sales process engineering endeavor. From that standpoint, a general strategy for systematic improvement should incorporate customer service. A consumer's impression of an organization can be completely altered by a positive customer service experience. It is based on this background that the present study seek to examine airport service quality and passenger’s satisfaction in Margret Ekpo Airport.

Statement of the Problem

Due to the high expense of air travel in comparison to other modes of transportation and the socioeconomic status of its passengers, civil airport operations demand high-quality delivery. Passengers' pleasure is negatively impacted by subpar airport services, which might occasionally cause an angry outburst.The experiences of travellers at the airport are always being sought after to be improved by airport managers, aviation authorities, and other service providers. Studies have focused on the customer service aspects of the airport service or the interpersonal interactions provided to travelers by airport workers. The operational parameters that impact airport performance and, in some situations, operate as indirect indicators of service quality have received little to no research.

Although the Margret Ekpo Airport has been working hard to provide high-quality service to its patrons in an effort to ensure their complete satisfaction, there are a number of problems impeding the achievement of 100% patron pleasure. Elevators, central vents, and air conditioners, among other conventional scenarios related to inadequate and outdated infrastructure, are in appalling conditions. Additionally, the Margret Ekpo Airport provides few or no means for customers to express their dissatisfaction with the services offered by the airport, including suggestion boxes and complaints cards.Margret Ekpo Airport's terminals are also distinguished by unkempt space patterns that finally caused congestion. Due to this circumstance, the majority of travelers find it challenging to transport their stuff to their preferred locations. The aforementioned components are thought to be the main obstacles preventing Margret Ekpo's Airport's efforts to provide high-quality service that would finally result in customer satisfaction. This study therefore seeks to investigate airport service quality and passenger’s satisfactionin Margaret EkpoInternational Airport.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of airport service quality on passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport. Other objectives of the study include;

1. To determine the significant effect of airport service quality on passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport
2. To examine the factors that leads to customers’ dissatisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport
3. To ascertain the characteristic of airport service quality in the satisfaction of customers.
4. To determine if there is a significant relationship between service quality and passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport

Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is based on airport service quality and passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport in Cross Rivers State, Nigeria

Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were stated in the present study;

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significant impact of service quality on passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport.

H1: There is significant impact of service quality on passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship between service quality and passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport.

H1: There is significant relationship between service quality and passenger's satisfaction in MargaretEkpoInternational airport

The Study Area

This study will be conducted in Cross Rivers State specifically in Calabar where the Margaret Ekpos’ International Airport is situated.

Geography of the Study

This study was conducted in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Calabar is located in the south easternmost part of the country, the city of Calabar is one of the largest coastal cities of Nigeria with Latitude and longitude coordinates of 4.98 and 8.34 respectively. Known also as Canaan City, and it is located in the very mouth of the Cross River, the largest river in the country. It is a home to about 375 thousand people and a very important port for the country. The city is also known for its excellent facilities for various sports, including football, field hockey, and others, so very often it becomes a location for numerous competitions and other sports related events.

Margaret Ekpo International Airport

Margaret Ekpo International Airport (IATA: CBQ, ICAO: DNCA), also known as Calabar Airport, is an airport serving Calabar, the capital of the Cross River State in Nigeria. The airport is named after Margaret Ekpo, who was one of Nigeria's pioneering feminist and anticolonial activists. It was commissioned in 1983 by Alhaji Shehu Shagari, then president of Nigeria (Wikepedia, 2023).

Limitation of the Study

1. Source of information for the research was difficult to come across due to the distance of the case study region from the researcher, again since much research has not been done concerningcustomer service at airports, the researcher had a limitation of secondary data in the course of the study, and that is, classified information was difficult to come by. Nonetheless, there was a series of interviews conducted with managers, staff and customer to gain firsthand information.
2. Funding was major issue the conducting of this study faced. Since the study was not sponsored by any institution or individual, personal funding was the only option for footing bills such as printing, transportation cost to the study area, including other miscellaneous concerning the study.
3. Time stipulated for the research was limited, since it is part of final year undergraduate requirements there were deadlines and submission dates required for the completion of the work. Proximity of the case study region was also another limitation worth mentioning, due to the distance involved there was a higher cost of transportation.Nonetheless, with the support of a competent supervisor the study was cogently completed to meet all deadlines.

Definition of Terms

Airport: An airport is a place where airplanes can land or take off.

Service Quality: Service quality is an assessment of how well a delivered service conforms to the client's expectations. 

Passenger: A passenger is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The vehicles may be bicycles, buses, passenger trains, airliners, ships, ferryboats, and other methods of transportation.

Passenger Satisfaction: Passenger satisfaction of public transport service refers to a psychological state of satisfaction or disappointment after comparing the expectations of passengers about the services provided by the public transport system with their overall feelings after receiving the services, which can be expressed by the average score of the questionnaire on passenger satisfaction of public transport service during the survey period.