Effects of Max-air domestic service quality delivery and passenger’s satisfaction in Nigeria. Kabiru Hammanjoda Department of Business Administration and Management Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola Nigeria. Email [email protected] And Dr. Arora Gaurav Singh Department of Economics and International Business Sharda University Greater Noida India. Email [email protected] Abstract This paper aims to examine the effect of Max-air domestic service quality delivery and passenger’s satisfaction in Nigeria. The study used Gap analysis, where (240) domestics passengers were selected through a convenient sampling technique and a structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents in which the difference between passenger’s expectations and perceptions based on five SERVQUAL dimensions were analyzed to find the mean scores. The study revealed that the dimensions’ average scores are all negative indicating that there is a service failure in all the dimensions. Similarly, thepassenger’s expectations are higher than their perceived service quality of the airline.Therefore, it is recommended that the airline should consider redesigning their service operations in other to match with customer’s expectation in all the facet of service quality dimensions of Reliability, Assurance, Responsiveness, Empathy and Tangibility of the SERVQUAL. Keywords: Domestic, Max-air, , Nigeria, Passenger’s, ,Satisfaction, Service quality. 1.Introduction Max air is a charter operator based in Nigeria Katsina state rebranded from Mangal airlines in 2008. The airline operates various charter across the world with Boeing wide-body and narrow-body aircraft providing experience services for the hajj pilgrimage. It stated domestic services in 2018 in Nigeria with Boeing 737 aircraft. (CAPA,2020). The increase in demand and expectations of customers are changing as a result of the changes in the business environment. Thus, many services providers 16 | P a g e especially the airline industry are searching for passenger’s true needs and want in other to compete with other airlines. The most indispensable elements that determine the prosperity and success of any business is customers satisfaction (Ha Nam Khanh, 2017). Also According to Nonthapot & Nasoontorn, (2020)State, the most vital contributor to national economic growth and development is the air industry that enables not only easier and faster movement of passengers but also increased the activity of world trade and improves the quality of life. Thus, in acquiring new passengers and retaining the existing ones in such a highly competitive environment, passenger’s satisfaction is inevitable. Most studies have revealed that most of the customers share their negative experience with family and friends through word of mouth rather than complain to the service provider (Hussain, 2016). However, there is a paucity of empirical literature investigating passenger’s satisfaction especially in airline services in Nigeria (Ganiyu, 2016; Ndikubwimana and Berndt, 2016; Wali and Opara, 2012). Therefore, it is against this background that this paper examined the effects of Max-air domestic services and passenger satisfaction. The specific objective of this paper is to examine the Gap between passenger’s expectation and perception of the service quality dimension of SERVQUAL (Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy). Among domestic Max-airline passengers in Nigeria. This paper is structured into five sections. Section one is the introductory part, section two is a literature review, section three outlined the methodology, section four data presentation and analysis, section five is the results of findings and recommendation. 2.Literature review 2.1. Theoretical framework This study relies on the Gap perspective theory. The Gap theory recognized that there is a gap exist or a set of discrepancies regarding executing satisfaction and the tasks connected with service quality delivery to customers. However, this gap can be major hurdles to deliver a service that customers may perceive as being of high quality or low quality. 2.2 Conceptual issues 2.2.1. Service Quality In a highlycompetitive industry especially the airline industry, service quality has become progressively imperative for the success of any business. Thus, Punnakitikashem et al., (2000) 17 | P a g e suggested that to attain a competitive advantage by industries and to increase long term profitability, service quality is considered an imperative strategy for today’s business. Therefore, to build a sustainable competitive advantage and to enable the airline to retain its passengers in an intense competition satisfying passengers is not a choice any longer.(Hussain, 2016). Thus, passengers need to be satisfied to make them brand loyal. Consequently, service quality is seen as the difference between perceived service performance and the expected service quality level. (Nonthapot & Nasoontorn, 2020) 2.2.2 Service quality attributes The most widely and accepted instrument for measuring perceived service quality in marketing literature is SERVQUAL is (Parasuraman et al 1988). The instrument consists of five dimensions of (1) Tangibility, (which include the physical appearance of facilities, equipment and personnel. (2) Reliability, (consist of the ability to perform promised services independently and accurately). (3) Responsiveness, (is the willingness to help customers and provide prompt services) (4) Assurance, (This includes knowledge and courtesy of the staff and ability to inspire trust and confidence) (5) Empathy, (This is the individualized attention the industry provides to its customers). 2.2.3 Passenger expectation Passenger or customer’s expectation is usually regarded as wants or desires. Thus, what passengers as customers expect to acquire from service providers define their diverse expectations and what they feel a service provider should offer more than would offer.Parasuraman et al, (1991) suggest that understanding customer’s expectations of service delivered played a vital role in delivering satisfactory services. 2.2.4 Perceived service quality This is the extent to which a service meets a customer’s needs or expectations. Thus, perceived service quality delivery involves a comparison of expectation with actual performance and is always determined by the size and direction of the internal gaps. Also between customer expectations and management perceptions of those expectations; between service quality specifications and actual service delivery; between management perception of customer expectation and the company’s service quality specifications. 18 | P a g e 2.3Conceptual research model Tangibility Service Reliability expectation Perceived Responsiveness service quality Assurance Service perception Passenger Empathy satisfaction Source: Adapted from Parasuraman et al (1988) 2.4 Empirical literature Customers satisfaction nowadays is being regarded as an element that is indispensable that play a very significant role in determining the prosperity and success of a business in such a fast-growing market.(Ha Nam Khanh, 2017) Geraldine & U, (2013) examined attributes of individual service quality rendered by Arik airline in Nigeria. In line with SERVQUAL dimensions, a structured questionnaire was administered on 600 respondents through a random sampling of the average weekly passengers. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient. The result shows that there is a significant relationship between the airline image and service quality variables. Similarly, Wali & Opara, (2012) evaluate the impact of e-service quality experience on passengers loyalty in the Nigerian airline industry. A survey questionnaire was used through a convenient sampling in selecting airline operators and simple random sampling was applied to select a sample of 100 passengers and regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The result revealed that the reliability dimension of SERVQUAL hasan online service impact on passengers repeat purchase. However, Nonthapot & Nasoontorn, (2020) examined the effects of service quality on passengers satisfaction of Royal Jordanian airline based on modified SERVQUAL. A survey questionnaire was used through a simple random sampling on 475 respondents and multiple regression was used to test the effects of service quality on passenger 19 | P a g e satisfaction. The result shows that service quality is an important factor that affectspassenger’s satisfaction. 3.1 Research methodology This study aims to examine the effects of Max airline quality of service and passenger satisfaction in Nigeria. A survey design was used in which structured questionnaires were administered to Max airline domestic passengers waiting for boarding in Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja Nigeria. A convenient sampling technique was adopted where a sample is drowned from readily available passengers. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire where the effects independent variable on the dependent variable were measured by a five-point Likert-attitude scale. The study adopted the five SERVQUAL dimensions proposed by Parasuraman et al (1988). The SERVQUAL instrument posses 22 structured and paired questions on service quality and 5 questions on satisfaction based on a five-point Likert scale from (1) strongly satisfied to (5) strongly dissatisfied. 3.2 Technique for data analysis The airline service quality delivery was assessed by the expectations and perception of passengers based