Improving the quality of passenger service at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport

Abstract

The rapid expansion of China’s civil aviation industry and the consequent rise in passenger expectations have underscored the importance of systematic service quality evaluation and targeted improvement in airport management. This study investigates passenger service quality at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, a major hub in Southwest China, by integrating the traditional SERVQUAL model with the Airport Service Quality program’s smart and green indicators. The research aims to identify specific service deficiencies across five dimensions—Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy—and to propose data-driven, innovation-oriented strategies that align with global best practices and national goals for intelligent and sustainable airport development.

A mixed-method approach was employed. Literature review established the theoretical framework combining SERVQUAL and Airport Service Quality; a 30-item, five-point Likert questionnaire was designed and administered both online and on-site, yielding 200 valid responses. Reliability and validity were confirmed via Cronbach’s alpha and KMO/Bartlett’s tests, while descriptive and distributional analyses highlighted areas of moderate satisfaction and underlying distributional imbalances. Benchmarking case studies of Beijing Daxing and Singapore Changi Airports informed the adaptation of successful practices to the Chongqing context.

The results of the research indicated that while core operations generally met expectations, tangible amenities, system reliability under stress, channel responsiveness, standardization of processes, and personalized care exhibited uneven performance. In response, a suite of integrated improvement measures is proposed: ergonomic and energy-efficient redesign of terminal spaces augmented by interactive carbon-footprint visualization; deployment of intelligent operations platforms—incorporating blockchain-backed delay alerts and RFID baggage tracking—supported by a centralized data-dashboard; establishment of an omnichannel service hub with dynamically allocated rapid-response teams; enhancement of staff competence via modular, scenario-based training and external certification plus mystery-shopper audits; and development of passenger-profiling engines, localized cultural experiences, and dedicated “love-channel” escort services for special-needs travelers. Collectively, these strategies offer a coherent roadmap for elevating passenger satisfaction, operational resilience, and sustainable innovation at regional hub airports.