Abstract

Purpose: This study analyzes how cabin crew service quality influences customer loyalty in the aviation industry. Specifically, it examines how the reliability, professionalism, and authenticity of cabin crew services affect cognitive loyalty and whether such effects affect emotional loyalty. Design and methodology: We surveyed passengers who had used aviation services in the past year. Structural equation modelling was used to test our hypotheses. To test model fit and assess reliability, validity was developed for the measurement items of each variable. Findings: The results support all four hypotheses. Reliability, professionalism, and authenticity of cabin crew services positively influence cognitive loyalty. Furthermore, cognitive loyalty significantly and positively affects emotional loyalty. These findings highlight the crucial role of cabin crew in fostering both rational preference and emotional attachment among passengers. Conclusions: This study provides insights into developing customer loyalty in the aviation industry. It demonstrates the need to invest in cabin crew training, which ultimately affects all three service quality dimensions. It also indicates that carriers can consider cognitive loyalty as a gateway to emotional loyalty and should pursue strategies accordingly. These results provide airlines with practical implications for improving customer loyalty and furthering their competitive advantage in the industry.