Proposing a Framework for Airline Service Quality Evaluation Using Type-2 Fuzzy TOPSIS and Non-parametric Analysis

This paper focuses on evaluating airline service quality from the perspective of passengers view. Since now a lot of researches has performed in airline service quality evaluation in the world, a little research has been conducted in Iran, yet. In this research, we proposed a framework for measuring airline service quality in Iran. After reviewing airline service quality criteria, we selected SSQAI model because of its comprehensiveness in covering airline service quality dimensions. We redesigned SSQAI questionnaire items to adopt it with Iranian airlines requirements and environmental circumstances in the Iran's economic and cultural context. This study includes fuzzy decision-making theory, considering the possible fuzzy subjective judgment of the evaluators during airline service quality evaluation. Fuzzy TOPSIS have been applied for ranking airlines service quality performances. Three major Iranian airlines which have the most passenger transfer volumes in domestic and foreign flights, were chosen for evaluation in this research. Results demonstrated Mahan airline has got the best service quality performance rank in gaining passengers' satisfaction with delivery of high quality services to its passengers, among the three major Iranian airlines. IranAir and Aseman airlines placed in the second and third rank, respectively, according to passenger's evaluation. Statistical analysis have been used in analyzing passenger responses. Due to abnormality of data, Non-parametric tests were applied. To demonstrate airline ranks in every criterion separately, Friedman test was performed. Variance analysis and Tukey test were applied to study the influence of increasing in age and educational level of passengers' on degree of their satisfaction from airline's service quality. Results showed that age has not significant relation with passenger satisfaction of airlines, however increasing in educational level demonstrated a negative impact on passengers' satisfaction from airline's service quality