IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jtourh/v5y2024i3p36-624d1430232.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Nature of Airport Brand Associations

Author

Listed:
  • Isaac Levi Henderson

    (School of Aviation, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand)

  • Kan Wai Hong Tsui

    (School of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Toowomba, QLD 4350, Australia)

  • Thanh Ngo

    (School of Aviation, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand)

  • Andrew Gilbey

    (School of Aviation, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand)

  • Mark Avis

    (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand)

Abstract

This study examines the nature of brand associations that air travellers form with airports and which associations are important when choosing between airports. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, this study collected information about 240 participants’ most recent trips using air travel, encompassing 642 airport visits and 88 airports worldwide. The associations that participants made with the airports they travelled through were collected, as well as the sorts of associations that are important for choosing between airports and why those associations are important. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing 13 themes each for airport brand associations and important associations for choosing between airports and 14 themes for reasons why those associations were important. Single-sample t -tests reveal that each of these themes has a different effect size in terms of its effect on airport brand association formation and its effect on attitudinal brand choice. This study contributes to the air transport and tourism literature by providing a detailed account of which associations air travellers form with airports and which are used for choosing between airports by contextualising these findings by viewing airports as compound brands. Managerial implications are also provided along with avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Isaac Levi Henderson & Kan Wai Hong Tsui & Thanh Ngo & Andrew Gilbey & Mark Avis, 2024. "The Nature of Airport Brand Associations," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-33, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:5:y:2024:i:3:p:36-624:d:1430232
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/5/3/36/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/5/3/36/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paternoster, Joanne, 2008. "Excellent airport customer service meets successful branding strategy," Journal of Airport Management, Henry Stewart Publications, vol. 2(3), pages 218-226, April.
    2. Eric Pels & Peter Nijkamp & Piet Rietveld, 2001. "Airport and Airline Choice in a Multiple Airport Region: An Empirical Analysis for the San Francisco Bay Area," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 1-9.
    3. Basar, Gözen & Bhat, Chandra, 2004. "A parameterized consideration set model for airport choice: an application to the San Francisco Bay Area," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 889-904, December.
    4. Wen-Chun Tseng & Cheng-Lung Wu, 2019. "A choice model of airline passengers’ spending behaviour in the airport terminal," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(4), pages 380-390, May.
    5. Oum, Tae H. & Adler, Nicole & Yu, Chunyan, 2006. "Privatization, Corporatization, Ownership Forms and their Effects on the Performance of the World’s Major Airports," 47th Annual Transportation Research Forum, New York, New York, March 23-25, 2006 208026, Transportation Research Forum.
    6. Giesberts, Ludger, 2014. "`Managing Airports: An International Perspective` by Anne Graham," Journal of Airport Management, Henry Stewart Publications, vol. 8(2), pages 189-190, March.
    7. Freathy, Paul, 2004. "The commercialisation of European airports: successful strategies in a decade of turbulence?," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 191-197.
    8. Gkritza, Konstantina & Niemeier, Debbie & Mannering, Fred, 2006. "Airport security screening and changing passenger satisfaction: An exploratory assessment," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 213-219.
    9. Fuerst, Franz & Gross, Sven, 2018. "The commercial performance of global airports," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 123-131.
    10. van Osselaer, Stijn M J & Janiszewski, Chris, 2001. "Two Ways of Learning Brand Associations," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 28(2), pages 202-223, September.
    11. Paul Freathy & FRANK O'CONNELL, 1999. "A Typology of European Airport Retailing," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 119-134, July.
    12. Bagler, Ganesh, 2008. "Analysis of the airport network of India as a complex weighted network," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 387(12), pages 2972-2980.
    13. Zhang, Yunlong & Xie, Yuanchang, 2005. "Small community airport choice behavior analysis: A case study of GTR," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(6), pages 442-447.
    14. Tam, Mei-ling & Lam, William H.K., 2004. "Determination of service levels for passenger orientation in Hong Kong International Airport," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 181-189.
    15. Correia, Anderson Ribeiro & Wirasinghe, S.C. & de Barros, Alexandre G., 2008. "A global index for level of service evaluation at airport passenger terminals," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 607-620, July.
    16. Thelle, Martin H. & Sonne, Mie la Cour, 2018. "Airport competition in Europe," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 232-240.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bezerra, George C.L. & Gomes, Carlos F., 2018. "Performance measurement practices in airports: Multidimensionality and utilization patterns," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 113-125.
    2. Teixeira, Filipe Marques & Derudder, Ben, 2021. "Spatio-temporal dynamics in airport catchment areas: The case of the New York Multi Airport Region," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Olufunto Adedotun Kanyio & Taofeek Kolawole Gbadamosi & Felix Kayode Omole, 2023. "Airport Changing Business Model and Density of Economic Activities," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(2), pages 364-375, February.
    4. Paliska, Dejan & Drobne, Samo & Borruso, Giuseppe & Gardina, Massimo & Fabjan, Daša, 2016. "Passengers' airport choice and airports' catchment area analysis in cross-border Upper Adriatic multi-airport region," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 143-154.
    5. de Luca, Stefano, 2012. "Modelling airport choice behaviour for direct flights, connecting flights and different travel plans," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 148-163.
    6. Escobari, Diego, 2017. "Airport, airline and departure time choice and substitution patterns: An empirical analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 198-210.
    7. Nghiêm-Phú, Bình & Suter, Jillian Rae, 2018. "Airport image: An exploratory study of McCarran International Airport," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 72-84.
    8. Phelipe Medeiros da Rocha & Helder Gomes Costa & Glauco Barbosa da Silva, 2022. "Gaps, Trends and Challenges in Assessing Quality of Service at Airport Terminals: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Yu Morimoto∗, 2019. "Demand Leakage from a Local Small Airport to a Regional Main Airport," International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Mohammad Hamad Al-khresheh, vol. 5(1), pages 36-42.
    10. Kim, Amy M. & Ryerson, Megan S., 2018. "A long drive: Interregional airport passenger “leakage” in the U.S," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 237-244.
    11. De Nicola, Arianna & Gitto, Simone & Mancuso, Paolo, 2013. "Airport quality and productivity changes: A Malmquist index decomposition assessment," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 67-75.
    12. Xia, Wenyi & Jiang, Changmin & Wang, Kun & Zhang, Anming, 2019. "Air-rail revenue sharing in a multi-airport system: Effects on traffic and social welfare," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 304-319.
    13. Bezerra, George Christian Linhares & Gomes, Carlos F., 2016. "Measuring airport service quality: A multidimensional approach," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 85-93.
    14. Paraschi, Elen Paraskevi & Georgopoulos, Antonios & Papatheodorou, Andreas, 2020. "Abiotic determinants of airport performance: Insights from a global survey," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 33-53.
    15. Silva, João & Kalakou, Sofia & Andrade, Antonio R., 2023. "Maximizing non-aeronautical revenues in airport terminals using gate assignment and passenger behaviour modelling," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    16. Thitinan Pholsook & Warit Wipulanusat & Poomporn Thamsatitdej & Sarawut Ramjan & Jirapon Sunkpho & Vatanavongs Ratanavaraha, 2023. "A Three-Stage Hybrid SEM-BN-ANN Approach for Analyzing Airport Service Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    17. Stephane Hess, 2005. "Analysing air-travel choice behaviour in the Greater London area," ERSA conference papers ersa05p736, European Regional Science Association.
    18. Myung Je Lee & Changhee Kim, 2018. "A network DEA aeronautical and non-aeronautical production model: an application to South Korea airports," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Cho, Woohyun & Windle, Robert J. & Dresner, Martin E., 2015. "The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 141-157.
    20. Rocha, Phelipe Medeiros da & Barros, Alexandre Pinheiro de & Silva, Glauco Barbosa da & Costa, Helder Gomes, 2016. "Analysis of the operational performance of brazilian airport terminals: A multicriteria approach with De Borda-AHP integration," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 19-26.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:5:y:2024:i:3:p:36-624:d:1430232. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.