Evaluation of Service Quality of Aeroflot Russian Airline Based on SERVQUAL Approach

Bc. Daria Shemelina, BA (Hons)

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The primary purpose of the thesis is to propose to the management the appropriate recommendations for further improvements of the service quality of Aeroflot Russian airline company. Service quality and passenger satisfaction were evaluated based on the research findings. The literature review provided the critical theoretic framework with the rich references background of the following areas such as service quality, airline image, customer satisfaction and behaviour intentions within the airline industry. SERVQUAL model was used as the research instrument for data analysis with 5-dimensional Likert scale. The survey was provided as a research strategy and the 2 parts of the questionnaire for "expectations" and "perceptions" were created. Hypothesis testing method was used to reveal the significance of the difference between measured service quality variables. The research was conducted in Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague in the Czech Republic among 111 passengers for the flight SU2011 from Prague-Moscow/Sheremetyevo on the 22nd of December in 2017.The primary data was collected and analysed in statistical software SPSS 23. The results showed that the lowest gap score of (-0.03) between expectations and perceptions was related to "Individual attention to passengers", meaning that the passengers' expectations were not met. And the highest gap scores of (0.49) was found for the item "Aircraft and in-flight facilities", meaning that the passengers' perceptions exceeded their expectations. Moreover, One-Way ANOVA test presented the significance of differences between expectations and perceptions based on service quality dimensions results and gaps. The workresults showed that the performance of the airline was at high level and the passengers' perceptions exceeded passengers' expectations. With exception of one negative gap, which was found in the dimension "Empathy". Hence, the researcher proposed the plan of improvements for company's management.

Keywords

service quality, SERVQUAL model, airline image, customer behaviour intentions, passenger satisfaction, airline industry, service sector, customers’ expectations and perceptions, service marketing

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 28. 3. 2018

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Lenka Platilová Vorlíčková

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Economics and Management

Master programme / field:
Economics Policy and Administration / Business Administration