Journal of Air Transport Management最新文献

The growth of air passenger and cargo volumes is the result of innovations in aviation technology but is also significantly affected by the global economy. Various studies have been conducted to forecast the air transportation demand. In particular, for the management of passenger aircraft manufacturers and airlines, it is necessary to understand the trends in the number of orders and deliveries of passenger aircrafts. In this study, the Fourier transform was used to analyze the correlation between economic conditions and the number of orders and deliveries of passenger aircrafts. The results indicate that the fluctuations in the amplitudes of the numbers of orders and deliveries have been increasing. Furthermore, local peaks in the number of orders and deliveries tended to occur several years later than peaks in economic growth. However, the delay has shortened in recent years, the trend is assumed to synchronize with the growth of the global economy. At the same time, the introduction of next-generation passenger aircrafts does not necessarily result in immediate increases in orders and deliveries. Therefore, the impact of technological innovation is likely to be relatively small compared with that of economic conditions.

Assessment of passenger satisfaction (PS) ratings is a noteworthy component of evaluating the service quality metrics used by airline companies. One of the most popular ways for airline companies to gauge customer satisfaction (CS) and determine what needs to be improved is by conducting surveys of their customers. In this study, we used an extended version of the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique, which is one of the most important multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, with type-2 fuzzy sets to evaluate PS for the first time in the literature. Using this systematic technique, we have reflected to the model the uncertainty that may affect the evaluations of the passengers when making their assessments. Our study is considerably beneficial since it enables not only the PS evaluation of airline companies but also it is a generalization to analyze any type of CS that may be found in the aviation sector. We used our technique on questionnaires answered by 129,880 US Airlines passengers concerning 14 criteria and compared our results with studies in the literature using the same dataset. Unlike the literature, in this paper, passenger segmentation has been done to obtain effective results. Different scenarios are created for each emerging segment. While creating the scenarios, the passenger profiles of overall satisfaction, flight class, and customer loyalty are considered and different priorities are given to these variables in each scenario. We have utilized these scenarios to help airlines determine the demands of each consumer segment to improve service quality. Our study provides airline companies with an integrated decision system, with a holistic perspective, in which they can take into account not only their customers as one type, but also the differences they may experience in evaluating both their flight habits and flight experiences.

The present research was designed to provide evidence into why and when Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) occur and pose a threat to aviation safety. Specifically, the goal was to understand how causal illusions interact with perceptual biases with and without irrational reasoning. A total of 408 airline pilots participated in an experiment using Airbus® aircraft TCAS/ROSE simulators. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM), controlling for the effects of fatigue and flight hours. Results indicated that causal illusions were 82.4% predictive of UAP sightings only when magical inference was present. Our experimental evidence shows that UAPs may be explained as cognitive biases and would pose a threat to aviation safety if pilots—or even aircraft AIs—were to detect them in an irrational way (e.g., as alien objects). A novel theorization that integrates major perception, clinical, and cognition models is offered. Additionally, the authors discuss the implications for aviation safety and determine when a UAP sighting may pose a real danger on a commercial flight.

Data reveal that passengers spend more time at airports. Does this translate to enhanced commercial revenue, and if so which revenue types—food and beverage, retail, and other terminal services—are impacted? Leveraging a unique panel data of passenger dwell time at 89 U.S. airports, this study explores its influence on non-aeronautical revenues. We find that dwell time positively influences non-aeronautical revenues (10% increase in dwell time implies a 5% increase in revenues) with varying impacts on the revenue components. Specifically, we find that a 10% increase in dwell time is associated with an increase of 8% and 6%, respectively, in food and beverage as well as retail revenues, but with no significant impact on other terminal services revenues. Importantly, these impacts further vary with the airport terminal design, which we categorize as either linear, finger pier, or concourse. Our findings suggest that non-aeronautical revenues increase in dwell time at both linear and finger pier airports, with no such impact at concourse airports. Further, dwell time elasticities for food and beverage are roughly double at linear-design airports than at finger pier design airports. These are instrumental insights for further airport development and of merit for the discourse on airport privatization and regulation.

Sellers in a wide range of industries frequently make promises about service performance (product quality) that can only be assessed after purchase. Making such a promise creates a tradeoff: A better promise (1) increases demand today, but (2) reduces the likelihood of achieving the promised performance, which reduces future demand. In this paper, we present a simple model of optimal promised performance. We then apply this model to the airline industry, and we develop hypotheses for how changes in market conditions -- the availability of on-time performance data, competition, and prevalence of connecting passengers -- lead to changes in promised performance via their impact on one or both components of the aforementioned promise tradeoff. Lastly, we test our hypotheses using airlines on-time performance data. Our results provide support for our hypotheses, and more broadly for our model of promises and the associated tradeoffs, indicating that airlines promise more when the cost of failing to attain the promised performance level is low: When passengers are less informed about airlines' on-time performance; when airlines face little competition; and, when there are relatively fewer connecting passengers.

This study investigates travelers' perceptions of smart airport facilities through sentiment analysis. It collected 39,616 comments from thirteen smart airports, and 25,572 tweets were analyzed. Most mentioned words about the smart airport included "technology" and "security". Comments also highlighted concerns about airport customer service, including "bag," "transit," and "disabled." The results also reveal that travelers are more concerned about the outcome of these facilities, such as the efficiency and time management of flights via smart facilities. The most mentioned words in the tweets related to smart airport operations are "flight," "waiting," and "time". Despite most smart facilities being equipped in the airports aiming to raise travelers' satisfaction, the results showed that 12 smart airports' tweets were generally neutral. Smart airport facilities might not add as much value to the airport impression as we expect. Brisbane International Airport was the only one with a positive perception of smart airport facilities. Most travelers mentioned that the airport had faster and better wifi and the airport is continuously improving. In contrast, Charles de Gaulle Airport and London Heathrow Airport had the highest percentage of negative sentiment, with 25.90% and 27.52% of tweets being negative, respectively. Travelers' complained that self-check-in kiosks were a mess, unhelpful staff and poor wifi. The results reveal travelers' concerns regarding smart airport facilities, and they let us know the importance of smart facility management. Smart airport facilities were initially designed to shorten travelers' time and enhance satisfaction, yet unhelpful staff and poor managed kiosks raise dissatisfaction. This study helps airport managers and operators to address the weakest part of smart airports as reflected in social media comments. It also fills the academic voids in examining travelers' satisfaction with smart facilities using social media and sentiment analysis via artificial intelligence.

The technological innovation has gradually turned UAV delivery services in urban areas into a reality. As crucial stakeholders, urban residents have a growing demand for goods delivery, and they are in the process of understanding this new technology. Understanding their acceptance and quantifying their preferences can effectively promote the development of UAV delivery systems. While scholars have conducted extensive research on this topic, there remains a lack of detailed analysis regarding consumer heterogeneity and specific service experiences, especially in China, which is one of the largest potential markets for urban air mobility and UAV applications. This study addresses pertinent questions, including in high-density urban areas, the potential user characteristics of UAVs for instant delivery, the types of goods users prefer UAVs to transport, and how users prefer goods to be handed over to them. Conducted in Chengdu, a major city in southwest China, the survey collected 2,008 validated responses, encompassing potential users of urban air delivery. Employing a discrete choice model (DCM) for quantitative analysis, market share and willingness to pay were derived based on field data, with the identified issues designed as attribute variables integrated into the model. The findings reveal that under suitable services, the UAV market share can reach 21.2%, while electric bike and car deliveries persist as the mainstream in on-demand delivery, constituting 51.8% and 27.0%, respectively. Notably, consumers’ choices are significantly influenced by their socioeconomic status and key indicators. As the cost of UAVs increases relative to electric bike and car deliveries, respondents tend to prefer the electric bike, indicating that UAVs are not the preferred substitute. However, when the price falls below 9.5 CNY, UAVs become more appealing than cars. The identification of five latent classes reflects distinctly different user attitudes towards delivery services in China. The analysis of key attribute elasticity guides adjustments in delivery efficiency and pricing, aligning with market conditions. These results elucidate the intriguing psychology of Chengdu consumers when embracing this new technology. For actively accepting consumers, the hope is for UAV delivery to offer a more convenient service experience, with customized services especially between the arrival of UAVs and pick-up emerging as a distinctive feature. We also discusses regional heterogeneity and implications of the pandemic. As an effective supplement to existing studies, we posit that when UAVs meet customer demands for affordability and high-quality service, they will emerge as the primary force in Chengdu’s future urban air market.

Background

This paper aims to investigate the factors that influence air passengers' intention to purchase the VCO program by applying the extended Theory of Planned Behavior. Furthermore, we examine how the influence of these factors on purchasing intention varies according to passengers' levels of environmental knowledge.

Methods

We surveyed 319 individuals in Korea who have had air travel experience within the past three years and are planning future air travel. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0. To verify validity and reliability, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model, and the moderating effect of environmental knowledge was verified through multi-group analysis.

Findings

Our findings revealed that personal norms, subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control influence customers' intentions to purchase VCO program, in that order. Additionally, a critical aspect of our research is the multigroup analysis that demonstrates how environmental knowledge moderates the effects of attitudes and personal norms on purchase intentions. This indicates that the level of environmental awareness significantly shapes the decision-making process for participating in VCO program. Our study provides valuable insights for developing effective communication strategies to promote VCO program, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches based on individuals’ environmental knowledge.

Originality

This study is the first to analyze the intention to purchase voluntary carbon offset (VCO) program among Korean passengers. We conducted a comprehensive analysis based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and investigated how the relative influence of each factor varies depending on the level of environmental knowledge.

Geopolitical uncertainty has become a salient risk to international freight. In this study, we investigate the impact of the geopolitical risk on air freight volume, sea freight volume, and road freight volume, respectively. The findings reveal that the effect of geopolitical risk on the three types of international freight is negative and statistically significant. However, a significant difference exists in the elasticity of impact, with sea freight exhibiting the highest elasticity to geopolitical risk, road freight demonstrating the lowest elasticity to geopolitical risk, and air freight presenting moderate elasticity to geopolitical risk. The heterogeneity test indicates that the impact of geopolitical risk on international freight was most significant from 2001 to 2005 compared to before 2001 and after 2005. The mechanism study explores that the negative effect of geopolitical risk on international freight transportation is moderated by international commodity trade.

The airport slot allocation problem is a critical issue for airlines’ flight operations. Especially, there have been concerns that the presence of grandfather rights under the International Air Transport Association guidelines may cause market inefficiencies in the current slot allocation procedure. This concern has been further emphasized after the recent pandemic circumstances. In this regard, this study presents a novel auction-based airport slot reallocation scheme considering the grandfather rights of airlines, in which participating airlines are required to submit bids for individual slots. The scheme includes allocation, payment, and compensation rules that aim to attain maximum social welfare by allowing the removal of grandfather rights and providing appropriate compensation. Although the proposed scheme neglects the interdependent effects between slots to reduce model complexity, we show that it achieves economic effectiveness while inducing voluntary participation and truthfulness of airlines. We also propose an implementation algorithm for the scheme and conduct numerical analysis based on real schedule-coordinated airport data of South Korea to validate the positive aspects of the proposed reallocation scheme.