قابلیت اطمینان به عنوان یک عامل در انتخاب مسافر در جوامع کوچک  Reliability as a factor in small community air passenger choice

1. Introduction Small community airports are at a constant struggle to retain commercial air service. This study supports previous research that airfare cost and travel time are important in air travel choice, but it also concluded that reliability of service is a factor for small community residents. These results were supported by anecdotal data from published sources, as well as both quantitative and qualitative responses from an extensive community survey. It is argued that reliability be considered as an important factor in future research and small commercial airport operations. In recent years, the United States airline industry has been practicing “capacity discipline,” a term given to a reduction in flights which has also resulted in higher load factors and airline profits. These capacity reductions have impacted smaller airports more than large hubs (Wittman and Swelbar, 2013), and many American cities have lost service altogether. Coupled with this decrease in supply of flights is the challenge that small communities face in attracting and retaining passengers (“demand”). Leakage of passengers from small communities to hub airports is especially important for non-hub airports, which are often at a disadvantage in airfares, number of flights and airline choice. There are several decades of research on airline and airport choice, much of it focusing on multi-airport regions or passenger leakage (e.g. Harvey, 1987; Hess et al., 2007; Phillips et al., 2005; Suzuki et al., 2004; Zhang and Xie, 2005). In his review of previous studies, Parrella (2013) listed several main factors affecting leakage: airfares, flight frequency, accessibility (time and cost), nonstop flights, frequent flyer programs, aircraft type, and airport service quality. However, news data indicate that reliability due to flight interruptions (e.g. delays and cancellations) may also be a factor, especially when local residents perceive that reliability is poor.