EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF AIRPORT PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ON PASSENGER SATISFACTION

Abstract

This study examines the influence of physical environment quality on passengers’ satisfaction at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Bharu, one of Malaysia’s regional airports. While physical environment quality has been widely examined in the aviation industry, research on smaller regional airports remains limited. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between three physical environment dimensions: facilities, servicescape, and security, towards passenger satisfaction. A quantitative approach was applied, and a total of 307 valid responses were collected from airport passengers. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, applying descriptive statistics, reliability testing, and Pearson correlation to identify the strength of relationships between variables. The results show that all three dimensions are positively associated with passenger satisfaction. Academically, this study enriches the limited body of knowledge on physical environment quality in regional airports by providing insights into consumer perceptions in a less explored context. Such developments may also benefit local tourism and regional economic growth. In a nutshell, the study emphasizes the critical role of physical environment quality in enhancing the competitiveness of regional airports.