Abstract:

Brazil’s air sector is rapidly growing. Now 65% of people on interstate travel opt for this mode of transportation. However, this market is extremely concentrated in the Brazilian scenario, and airlines are constantly seeking competitive differentials. The understanding of the variables that affect the perceived quality of service is important so that airlines can direct their actions to the most impacting factors in consumer satisfaction. In order to reach the objective, it was calculated a model through the structural equations in an exploratory type research with a quantitative approach. The questionnaire, validated with (α=0.855), obtained 152 responses. The structural model used explained consumer satisfaction in 53.7%. The results show that the variables that most impact on passenger satisfaction are Image (23%), Aircraft Tangibility (16%) and Empathy (15%). Through the Importance / Performance analysis (IPMA), it was possible to offer a 3-step model (functionality / value, comfort and confidence) to improve performance in service quality.