The Impact of Airport Facility Service Quality on Brand Experience and Passenger Satisfaction: Considering the Mediating Role of Brand Engagement

Abstract

In the past decade, as more and more passengers choose to fly on trips, China’s airport infrastructure construction has achieved world-renowned achievements. Despite the growing opportunities and demands for using brand research to assist airport industry services in improving, few studies have investigated the impact of service quality in terminal facilities on brand due to the diversity of service. This study uses structural equation models based on empirical research to explore the impact of facility service quality, including processing facility and non-processing facility, on airport brand experience and passenger satisfaction. This study also aims to assess the mediating effect of brand engagement on the relationship between facility service quality, brand experience, and passenger satisfaction. At the same time, this study also uses importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) to find specific items influencing brand engagement. The sampling method used a random sampling approach, with a total of 186 questionnaires distributed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport for data analysis. The results show that airport facility service quality is significant for brand engagement and experience, as well as for satisfaction, especially for processing facilities. In addition, the IPMA results show that facility services involved in the check-in process is of high importance, which requires more attention from managers. Overall, the findings of this study extend the understanding of service quality, brand engagement, brand experience, and passenger satisfaction in the context of an international airport, and they offer implications for Shanghai Pudong International Airport regarding the improvement of its facilities and brand.

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“…These items explored the emotional and rational attachments between passengers and the airports. Additionally, we adapted three items to brand experiences and well-being from Ma et al [18]. These items helped fathom the essence behind the passenger perception of the airport as a brand and tourists' behavioral outcomes.…”

“…Experience is a key element in developing positive memories and experience has frequently been cited in studies focusing on experience as a driving force of the market [17]. As with other industries, experience in the tourism sector is referred to as the interaction between the company and the consumer that elicits emotional interactions providing memorable services [18]. From another perspective, brand engagement has been identified as the level of connection and interaction between consumers and a brand.…”