Airports Council International (ACI) has announced the key findings of a new white paper analyzing the influence of customer service quality on airports’ non-aeronautical revenue.
The analysis found that a 1% increase in commercial space created an increase in non-aeronautical revenue of 0.2%. In contrast, a 1% increase in passenger satisfaction levels delivered an increase of 1.5% in non-aeronautical revenue. The report also found that a 1% increase in passenger traffic increased non-aeronautical revenue by between 0.7% and 1%.
Angela Gittens, director general, ACI World, said, “ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) research and analysis suggests that, for most airports, prioritizing customer service results in the greatest positive impact on non-aeronautical revenue. It can potentially deliver an even greater return on investment than can be achieved through traffic increases or expansion of commercial space.
“Of course, each airport faces unique issues in determining its investment program, but many airports instantly seize upon traffic and retail space as the key engines of revenue growth, when in fact customer service may well be the optimal route. The in-depth tailored data provided by the ASQ program not only gives each airport its own pathway to maximizing service quality, but also helps deliver the best return on its carefully targeted investment.”
The white paper is based on the ACI ASQ annual global survey carried out at almost 300 airports of various sizes across the world and surveying more than 550,000 passengers per year. The white paper is further supported by data generated from the annual ACI Airport Economics Survey.
To read the full 2015 ASQ results click here.