Responsiveness, reliability, and reclaim: A literature review on managing passenger satisfaction in airport baggage operations

Author

Naresh A/L Kumarasamy


Abstract

 This article develops an integrated framework of passenger satisfaction in airport baggage operations. The framework attempts to explain how responsiveness and reliability influence passenger satisfaction through Baggage Reclaim Process Efficiency, while recognising the role of risk assessment. Premised in the SERVQUAL model, the framework identifies responsiveness and reliability as essential dimensions of service quality. Responsiveness reflects prompt assistance, timely communication, and efficiently resolving baggage-related concerns. Reliability suggests the accurate, consistent, and dependable delivery of passengers' baggage. The proposed framework positions Baggage Reclaim Process Efficiency as a mediator through which Responsiveness and Reliability translate into passenger satisfaction. The framework is further supported by Expectation–Confirmation Theory that explains passenger satisfaction as a result of the comparison between expected and actual baggage reclaim experiences of passengers. It is also supported by Process Improvement Theory that explains how the principles of continuous improvement and operational efficiency can improve process performance and passenger outcomes. Therefore, efficient baggage delivery, accurate information, and effective service recovery are likely to enhance passenger satisfaction. Understanding that airport baggage operations are prone to delays, congestion, and other disruptions, the framework incorporates risk assessment as a moderator affecting the relationship between the service-quality dimensions and passenger satisfaction. The article argues that Responsiveness and Reliability alone are inadequate unless translated into efficient operational processes supported by risk assessment capabilities. The framework provides theoretical and practical insights for improving airport baggage operations and identifies opportunities for future empirical testing across diverse contexts.



Keywords

airport baggage operations, baggage reclaim process efficiency, passenger satisfaction, reliability, responsiveness, risk assessment



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


  • Al-Qatawneh, L., Arafeh, M., Barghash, M., Shihabeddin, F., Mahmoud, S., & Odeh, A. (2025). Improving baggage handling time at an international airport using Six Sigma methodology: A case study in the Middle East region. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 17, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790251322345
  • Alsyouf, I., Kumar, U., AlAshi, L., & AlHammadi, M. (2018). Improving baggage flow in the baggage handling system at a UAEbased airline using lean Six Sigma tools. Quality Engineering, 30(3), 432–452. https://doi.org/10.1080/08982112.2018.1437180
  • Behdioğlu, S., Acar, E., & Burhan, H. A. (2019). Quality assessment of airline baggage handling systems using SERVQUAL and BWM. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 124, 293–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2019.04.015
  • da Rocha, P. M., Costa, H. G., & da Silva, G. B. (2022). Gaps, trends and challenges in assessing quality of service at airport terminals: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 14(7), 3796. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073796
  • Deming, W. E. (1986). Out of the crisis.MIT Press.
  • Eboli, L., Bellizzi, M. G., & Mazzulla, G. (2022). A literature review of studies analysing air transport service quality from the passengers' point of view. Promet—Traffic & Transportation, 34(2), 253–269. https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v34i2.4020
  • Faizal, A. F. (2025). Customer satisfaction in airport baggage reclaim: Conceptualising a moderated-mediated model of service quality and risk management. IJCSRR, 8(12), 6505-6513. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V8-i12-60
  • Gkiotsalitis, K., & Cats, O. (2024). Towards a resilience assessment framework for airport passenger terminal operations. Journal of Air Transport Management, 114, 102508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102508
  • International Air Transport Association. (2024). Industry makes progress to reduce baggage mishandling, new survey reveals. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2024-releases/2024-05-09-01/
  • Kumar, M., & Meena, K. K. (2022). Air passenger satisfaction and airport service quality. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts, 14(3), 60–73.
  • Marzec, D., & Fellner, R. (2023). Review of risk assessment tools and techniques for selected aspects of functioning aerodrome operator. WUT Journal of Transportation Engineering, 136, 5–22. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0016.3201
  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Airport baggage handling system decision-making based on total cost of ownership. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27050
  • Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378001700405
  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.
  • Rezaei, J., Kothadiya, O., Tavasszy, L., & Kroesen, M. (2018). Quality assessment of airline baggage handling systems using SERVQUAL and BWM. Tourism Management, 66, 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.11.009
  • da Rocha, P. M., Costa, H. G., & Silva, G. B. (2022). Gaps, trends and challenges in assessing quality of service at airport terminals: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 14(7), 3796. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073796
  • Ruf, C., Schiffels, S., Kolisch, R., & Frey, M. M. (2022). A data-driven approach for baggage handling operations at airports. Transportation Science, 56(5), 1179–1195. https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.1127
  • Silvestro, R. (2001). Towards a contingency theory of TQM in services – How implementation varies on the basis of volume and variety. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 18(3), 254–288. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710110383520
  • Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques. (2024). SITA baggage IT insights 2024. https://www.sita.aero/resources/surveys-reports/air-transport-it-insights-2024/
  • Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques. (2025). More air passengers than ever with one of the lowest rates of mishandled baggage thanks to tech investments. https://www.sita.aero/pressroom/news-releases/more-air-passengers-than-ever-with-one-of-the-lowest-rates-of-mishandled-baggage-thanks-to-tech-investments/
  • Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques. (2026). SITA baggage IT insights 2026. https://www.sita.aero/about-us/pressroom/news-releases/tech-drove-down-mishandled-bag-rates-by-23-in-2025-but-mishandling-still-costs-the-industry-$6.3-billion-a-year
  • Sorso, H. J. (2024). Staff Responsiveness and Communication on Passenger Satisfaction: Bases for Passenger Service Satisfaction Framework. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2(7), 792–803. https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2024.0211
  • Usman, A., Azis, Y., Harsanto, B., & Azis, A. M. (2022). Airport service quality dimension and measurement: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 39(10), 2302–2322. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-07-2021-0198
  • Van Goethem, W.-J. C. D., et al. (2016, October 10–14). Improving the baggage connection process using the Lean Six Sigma approach (Kenya Airways case)[Symposium presentation]. AGIFORS 56th Airline Operations Annual Symposium, Santiago, Chile. https://agifors.org/Symposium
  • Yang, X., Feng, R., Xu, P., Wang, X., & Qi, M. (2023). Internet-of-Things-augmented dynamic route planning approach to the airport baggage handling system. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 175, 108802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2022.108802.
  • Yasim, M. A.-A., & Zaini, A. F. A. (2022). The influence of service quality towards customer satisfaction with low-cost airlines in Malaysia. Jurnal Evolusi, 3(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.61688/jev.v3i2.42
  • Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Berry, L. L. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299606000203
  • Zhang, Y., et al. (2024). Towards a resilience assessment framework for the airport passenger terminal operations. Journal of Air Transport Management, 114, 102508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102508
  • Zhang, Y., Lee, S., & Gu, Y. (2023). A review of air transport service quality studies: Current status and future research agenda. Journal of the Air Transport Research Society, 1(1), 9–21. https://doi.org/10.59521/EF52BB6324BD7035

 

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons