Service Quality and Performance of Airlines in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Since the beginning of globalization and open sky policies, airlines experience intense competition, and their performance get affected by many external factors in addition to internal issues. Fuel price fluctuation, aircraft maintenance, labor and aircraft technical operations cost are primary factors that significantly drain the budget of an airline while exerting strong impact on its operational performance. Therefore, the main objective of the study is to investigate the effect of service quality on performance of airlines operators in Abuja Nigeria. Service quality (tangibility, responsiveness and reliability) is the independent variable while Employees performance is the dependent variable. The study adopted a survey approach using a questionnaire to collect the needed data. Data were collected from passengers at the arrival halls of international and domestic terminals in the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, in Abuja. SEM model was the instrument for the analysis. Regression result shows that tangibility, reliability and responsiveness have significant effect on employees’ performance of airlines operators in Nigeria. Again, the result indicates strong relationships between tangibility, responsiveness, reliability and employees’ performance of airlines in Nigeria. The research concludes that service quality has significant effect on performance airlines operators in the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, in Abuja-Nigeria. The study's findings support the idea that airline managers should create initiatives to raise service standards that is satisfying passengers' who are customers of the airlines operators in Nigeria.