ASSESSMENT OF AIRLINE OPERATIONS AND SERVICES AT MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the operations and services of both domestics and international airlines at Muhammad International Airport, Lagos Nigeria. This study therefore, examined the services that determine passengers’ satisfaction and factors that influence passenger patronage during enplanement. The objectives of the study are to: assess the level of passengers’ satisfaction with airline operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, assess the level of passengers’ satisfaction of domestic and international airlines services at MMIA and to examine factors facilitating passengers’ level of patronage of domestic and international airlines. Data were collected with the use of questionnaire administered to airlines passengers and were analysed with weighted mean, relative Importance Index and factor analysis method to ascertain their level of satisfaction with the enplanement services. Weighted Mean method was used to assess the level of passenger satisfaction with airline services at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Passengers were satisfied with were satisfied with ‘Check in waiting time’ services. While passengers were fairly satisfied with Ground staff interaction, Check-in service efficiency, boarding system efficiency, assistance during boarding, baggage handling system, product and service information, language options, ease in seat reservation services. Relative importance index was also used to assess the level of passengers’ satisfaction of domestic and international airlines services at MMIA. Passengers boarding international airlines ranked “Boarding system efficiency” as 1st and with 72% level of satisfaction while domestic passengers rate “Check-in waiting time” and “Check-in service efficiency” as 1st with 78% level of satisfaction. In continuation, “Ease in booking”, “Ease in seat reservation” and “Check-in waiting time” were ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively with 71% and 69% level of satisfaction by international passengers’ while “Ground staff interaction with passengers” and “Schedules” were ranked 3rd with 68% level of satisfaction by domestic passengers. “Schedules” was ranked 5th with 69% level of satisfaction by international passengers’ while “Assistance during boarding”, “Standard of service transfer service” and “Ease of site navigation” were all ranked 6th with 66% level of satisfaction by domestic passengers’. In addition, Charges for extra luggage were ranked fourteenth by both domestic and international passengers’’. Factor analysis was conducted to determine factors facilitating passengers’ level of patronage of domestic and international airlines. Confirmatory factor analysis method was used to analyse 15 variables of airline service quality; the result gives five factors which are: Ease of booking, Assistance during boarding, Standard of transfer service, Language options flexibility, Baggage delay. Policy makers and industry regulators such as Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) need to be on alert and take pragmatic steps to ensure that the airlines provide and continually improve their services so as to provide services that exceed passenger expectation. This can be achieved by encouraging the airlines to improve on their services and setting standard for the airlines to meet. Airlines at Murtala Muhammed International airport must continually improve on services facilitating passenger satisfaction identified by the study so as to meet and exceed passenger satisfaction. This study reveals major factors facilitating passengers’ satisfaction during enplanement at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigeria.