An Investigation into Customer Satisfaction in the Local Airline Industry: A Total Quality Management Approach

Abstract

Air transportation plays a vital role in the socio-economic life of many people especially in the developing countries. The provision of air transport services in Ghana is done by AWA and STARBOW airline transport companies. This study set out to investigate customer satisfaction in the local airline industry using a total quality management approach. Using the customer satisfaction index, the study investigates customer satisfaction of the two airlines using the five dimensions of service quality. A key finding of this study is that the dimensions of service quality contribute significantly to the customer satisfaction in the local airline industry. It is revealed that both AWA and STARBOW airline transport companies seem to be on course in practicing the service quality dimensions in diverse ways. This study also discovered that the dimension of reliability is the highest contributor to customer satisfaction in the airline industry.