Factors affecting airport route development activity and performance

Airports have become increasingly active in route development as a means of attracting, growing and retaining air services. However, little is known about the different levels of route development activity at airports, or the extent to which route development activity affects performance. Based on the findings of a survey of 124 airports worldwide, this study finds that larger airports are significantly more active than smaller airports. It also finds that private airports are more active than public airports, and that airports in Europe are more active than airports in other world regions, although differences according to ownership and location are not significant. Route development activity has a significant positive effect on performance. Factors associated with the airport business environment (market turbulence, competitive intensity, market growth and airport constraints) were not found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between route development activity and performance. However, two factors were found to have a significant direct effect on performance; market growth has a significant positive effect while airport constraints have a significant negative effect

Airport digital passenger journey

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Airport marketing

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Airline types

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The provision of service information for public transport

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Airport route development: a survey of current practice

To develop air services and in many cases tourism flows, airports focus their marketing effort on airlines through a process known as route development. Whilst route development is a well-known concept within the airport industry it has received limited attention in academic or industry literature. As a result little knowledge is shared about why airports use route development, what are the most common methods and what is the general level of involvement. To fill the gap, this paper investigates airport route development practice using an online survey of 124 airports worldwide. Findings show that the vast majority of airports are actively involved in route development for a range of objectives and that the process and level of involvement is extensive, although this often depends on airport size, location or ownership. Results are particularly relevant to airports that are less advanced in route development activities and also those seeking to debate route and tourism development strategies with stakeholders

Airport service quality and passenger satisfaction : the impact of service failure on the likelihood of promoting an airport online

Based on the analysis of 2278 online passenger ratings of airports worldwide, this study uses a standard multinomial logit model to determine the likelihood of a passenger being a promoter of an airport when a service attribute has failed, controlling for several passenger and airport characteristics. Results show that failures associated with airport staff and queueing times are most likely to reduce the probability of a passenger being a promoter of an airport. Failures associated with airport shopping and wifi service are least likely to do so. More importantly, the failure of any service attribute in this study significantly reduces the probability of a passenger being a promoter of an airport. This suggests that all parts of the airport value chain are likely to suffer when a service attribute fails. Passenger and airport characteristics included in this study do not add significant explanation to whether a passenger becomes a promoter. Keywords: airport service quality, service failure, online ratings, airport value chain, passenger satisfactionpublishedVersio

A working holiday: From home to destination with a guide dog

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Travelling with a Guide Dog: Experiences of People with Vision Impairment

There is considerable research on people with vision impairment (PwVI) in the transport, travel and tourism sectors, which highlights the significance of real-time information and consistency in services to accessibility. Based on interviews with guide dog owners in the United Kingdom, this paper contributes an additional dimension to our understanding of transport accessibility for PwVI by focusing specifically on guide dog owners’ experiences in the travel and tourism sector. A guide dog is more than a mobility tool, but a human–dog partnership that improves the quality of life for PwVI; however, it also introduces constraints related to the dog’s welfare and safety. Further, lack of understanding of guide dog owners’ rights to reasonable accommodation leads to discrimination through service refusals and challenges to service access. This paper concludes that the limited and inconsistent public knowledge of disability diversity has serious ramifications for transport accessibility and suggests specific industry and legislative interventions in response.publishedVersio

Ready for digital transformation? The effect of organisational readiness, innovation, airport size and ownership on digital change at airports

This study investigates the effect of organisational readiness, innovation and airport size and ownership on digital change at airports. Data is collected from a survey of managers at 94 airports worldwide and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Organisational readiness is found to have a direct effect on digital change. Organisational readiness also has a direct effect on innovation, which subsequently affects digital change. Airport size has a direct effect on digital change while the effect of ownership is not significant. The findings show that successful development of organisational readiness can be used to speed up the rate of innovation needed for digital change at airports. Keywords: innovation, organisational readiness, technology, digital transformation, airportspublishedVersio