Elevating the Journey: Measuring the Impact of Service Quality and Future Innovations at KLIA

This study evaluates passenger satisfaction at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and identifies the key variables influencing it, addressing a geographical gap in airport service research. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to 396 KLIA passengers. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, independent T-tests, and multiple linear regression. The findings reveal high overall passenger satisfaction. Specifically, cleanliness, staff service, queuing efficiency, and future development initiatives significantly and positively impact user satisfaction. Conversely, digital innovation, sustainability practices, and signage showed no significant effect. Male and female passengers reported similar satisfaction levels, though males showed slightly higher reuse intentions and dining satisfaction. Practically, these results urge KLIA management to prioritize front-line staff training, maintain rigorous facility cleanliness, and develop gender-inclusive amenities. This study uniquely integrates traditional service dimensions with modern digital and sustainable demands within the Malaysian context.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), passenger satisfaction, airport service quality

1. Abhinav, A. (2014). Effective signage system. National Institute of Technology. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ackam, R. (2020). Research method in social sciences. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Admin. (2024, December 12). What is cleanliness? https://bfa.gob.pk/what-is-cleanliness/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Airport Information Systems. (2024, May 12). Airport sustainability in 2024 - Challenges, best practices & trends. https://blog.airport-information-systems.com/airport-sustainability-2024/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ali, M., & Raza, S. A. (2015). Service quality perception and customer satisfaction in Islamic banks of Pakistan: The modified SERVQUAL model. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 28(5–6), 559–577. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2015.1100517 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Armero, C., & Bayarri, S. (2015). Queues. In International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd ed., pp. 784–789). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.42164-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Ayodeji, Y., & Rjoub, H. (2020). Investigation into waiting time, self‐service technology, and customer loyalty: The mediating role of waiting time in satisfaction. [Journal name missing in source], 31(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.20867 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Bakir, M., Akan, S., Ozdemir, E., Nguyen, P.-H., Tsai, J.-F., & Pham, H.-A. (2022). How to achieve passenger satisfaction in the airport? Findings from regression analysis and necessary condition analysis approaches through online airport reviews. [Journal name missing in source], 14(4), Article 2151. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042151 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Chen, C. M., & Ming, L. H. (2017). Exploring the impact of airlines service quality on customer loyalty: Evidence from Taiwan. International Journal of Business and Management, 12(5), 36. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v12n5p36 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Curtin University Malaysia. (2023). Human resource of Curtin University Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2024). Annual report: Transport statistics. https://www.dosm.gov.my/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Edgar, F., & Manz, C. (2017). Online data collection strategies for social research. Journal of Digital Research, 9(2), 45–59. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Fiveable. (2024, August 1). Staff services – AP US government. https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/ap-gov/staff-services [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Forero, C. G. (2023). Cronbach’s alpha. In Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_622 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Gillis, A. S. (2023, September 28). What is digital innovation? TechTarget. https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/digital-innovation (Note: Consolidated the two duplicate Gillis entries in the source) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Greve, W. (2001). Human development, successful: Psychological conceptions. In International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (pp. 6970–6974). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01693-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Hong, S. J., Choi, D., & Chae, J. (2020). Exploring different airport users’ service quality satisfaction between service providers and air travelers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, Article 101917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101917 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. ITAérea. (2024). Airports: Concept, types and operation. ITAérea Aeronautical Business School. https://www.itaerea.com/airports [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Jones, L. (2025, January 7). How can queue management improve service efficiency? CEOWORLD Magazine. https://ceoworld.biz/2025/01/07/how-can-queue-management-improve-service-efficiency/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Ma, Y. (2023, April 25). Building future infrastructure: The next generation of airports. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Malaysia Airports. (2023). KL International Airport (KUL) KLIA. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB). https://airports.malaysiaairports.com.my/en/klia1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Mohd Isa, N. A., Ghaus, H., Abdul Hamid, N., & Tan, P. L. (2020). Key drivers of passengers' overall satisfaction at klia2 terminal. Journal of Air Transport Management, 87, Article 101859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2020.101859 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Moon, H., Yoon, H. J., & Han, H. (2017). The effect of airport atmospherics on satisfaction and behavioral intentions: Testing the moderating role of perceived safety. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34, 749–763. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1223779 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Moore, C. G., Carter, R. E., Nietert, P. J., & Stewart, P. W. (2011). Recommendations for planning pilot studies in clinical and translational research. Clinical and Translational Science, 4, 332–337. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Namkung, Y., & Jang, S. C. (2007). Does food quality really matter in restaurants? Its impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 31(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348007299924 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Oel, C. J. v., & Berkhof, v. d. (2013). Consumer preferences in the design of airport passenger areas. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.08.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. 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. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Peterson, C. (2009). The meaning and measurement of explanatory style. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0201_1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Pholsook, T., Ramjan, S., & Wipulanusat, W. (2025). Enhancing airport services: Data-driven analysis of passenger satisfaction and service quality in Southeast Asia. [Journal name missing in source], 17(2), 37–62. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Rajapaksha, A., & Jayasuriya, N. (2020). Smart airport: A review on future of the airport operation. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 20(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Remencová, T., & Sedláčková, A. N. (2021). Modernization of digital technologies at regional airports and its potential impact on the cost reduction. Transportation Research Procedia, 55, 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.06.003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill building approach (7th ed.). Wiley. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (8th ed.). Pearson Education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Shahparan, M., Salnikova, E., & Klykov, A. (2024). The role of airport service quality: Perspective from development of the tourism sector. International Journal of Sustainable Competitiveness on Tourism, 3(2), 63–71. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Sharma, K. (2024). Assessing passenger satisfaction with smart airport technologies: An empirical study. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Signage, K. (2022). The importance of clear signage in airports. https://kumarisignage.com/articles/article1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Sreenath, S., Sudhakar, K., & Yusop, A. (2021). Sustainability at airports: Technologies and best practices from ASEAN countries. Journal of Environmental Management, 299, Article 113639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113639 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Trymata. (2025). What is user satisfaction? Definition, metrics and best practices. https://trymata.com/blog/what-is-user-satisfaction/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. UCLA Sustainability. (2025). What is sustainability? https://sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Valpuesta, L. L., & Albala, D. C. (2023). Has passenger satisfaction at airports changed with the onset of COVID-19? The case of Seville Airport (Spain). Journal of Air Transport Management, 108, Article 102361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102361 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Vos, M. C., Galetzka, M., Mobach, M. P., Hagen, M. V., & Pruyn, A. T. H. (2018). Cleanliness unravelled: A review and integration of literature. Journal of Facilities Management, 16(4), 429–451. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-06-2017-0025 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Wang, C., Zang, T., Tian, R., Wang, R., Alam, F., Hossain, M. B., & Illes, C. B. (2023). Corporate social responsibility’s impact on passenger loyalty and satisfaction in the Chinese airport industry: The moderating role of green HRM. [Journal name missing in source], 10(1), Article e23360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23360 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar