Nâng cao chất lượng phục vụ mặt đất của vietnam airlines tại sân bay quốc tế nội bài

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
KHOA QUẢN TRỊ VÀ KINH DOANH
---------------------

NGUYỄN THỊ TUYẾT

IMPROVING THE GROUND SERVICE QUALITY OF
VIETNAM AIRLINES AT NOIBAI INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
NÂNG CAO CHẤT LƯỢNG DỊCH VỤ MẶT ĐẤT
CỦA VIETNAM AIRLINES TẠI SÂN BAY QUỐC TẾ
NỘI BÀI

LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ QUẢN TRỊ KINH DOANH

HÀ NỘI - 2019


ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
KHOA QUẢN TRỊ VÀ KINH DOANH
---------------------

NGUYỄN THỊ TUYẾT

IMPROVING THE GROUND SERVICE QUALITY OF
VIETNAM AIRLINES AT NOIBAI INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
NÂNG CAO CHẤT LƯỢNG DỊCH VỤ MẶT ĐẤT
CỦA VIETNAM AIRLINES TẠI SÂN BAY QUỐC TẾ
NỘI BÀI

Chuyên ngành: Quản trị kinh doanh
Mã số: 60 34 01 02
LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ QUẢN TRỊ KINH DOANH
NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC TS. HOÀNG ANH TUẤN

HÀ NỘI - 2019


DECLARATION

The author confirms that the research outcome in the thesis is the result of
author‟s independent work during study and research period and it is not yet
published in other‟s research and article.
The other‟s research result and documentation (extraction, table, figure,
formula and other document) used in the thesis are cited properly and the
permission (if required) is given.
The author is responsible in front of the Thesis Assessment Committee,
Hanoi School of Business and Management, and the laws for above-mentioned
declaration.

June 01, 2019


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A completed study would not be done without any assistance. Therefore, the
author who conducted this research gratefully gives acknowledgement to their
support and motivation during the time of doing this research as a requirement of
completing
First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks and deep gratefulness
to Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan for his dedication to help and guide me to carry out my

research. Without his motivation and instructions, the thesis would have been
impossible to be done effectively. I also would like to express sincere gratefulness
to the teachers who have provided me with useful knowledge in the past school
years.
My special thanks approve to the leadership board of Noibai Operation
Center - where I am working, facilitating us during the learning process.
At last, my deeply thanks come to my family, friends who have always
encouraged me in the process of implementing my research thesis
Despite my efforts, due to limited knowledge and research time, the thesis is
inevitable. The author hopes to receive valuable comments from teachers, friends
and colleagues for the thesis to be completer and more practical.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATION ....................................................................................................... i
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................... iii
THE OPENING CHAPTER .......................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ON THE AIRLINE‟S GROUND
SERVICE QUALITY AT THE AIRPORT ................................................................7
1.1. Airline‟s ground service quality at the airport .....................................................7
1.1.1 Definition ........................................................................................................7
1.1.2 The role of ground services of airlines at airports .........................................8
1.1.3 Characteristics of airline’s ground services at airports ................................9
1.1.4 Airline’s ground service classification .........................................................13
1.2 Ground service quality of an airline at the airport ..............................................15
1.2.1. Definition of ground service quality of an airline at the airport ................15
1.2.2 Some models of service quality assessment ..................................................17
1.2.3 Selecting models to evaluate the quality of ground services of airlines at
airports ..................................................................................................................21

1.2.4 Criteria for evaluating the quality of ground services of airlines at airports
according to model SERVPERF ............................................................................22
1.2.5 Factors affecting the quality of ground services of airlines at airports ......27
CHAPTER 2. EVALUATING THE GROUND SERVICE QUALITY OF
VIETNAM AIRLINES AT NOIBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ....................34
2.1 Introduction to Vietnam National Airlines .........................................................34
2.1.1 The process of formation and development of Vietnam Airlines .................34
2.1.2 Business Fields .............................................................................................35
2.1.3. Vienam Airlines’organizational structure ...................................................37
2.1.4 Business results of Vietnam Airlines in the period 2016-2018 ....................38
2.2 Status of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International
Airport .......................................................................................................................39


2.2.1 The importance of factors constituting the quality of ground services of
Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International Airport .................................................39
2.2.2 Reliablity.......................................................................................................41
2.2.3 Responsiveness .............................................................................................44
2.2.4 Service capacity ............................................................................................47
2.2.5 Empathy ........................................................................................................51
2.2.6 Tangible means .............................................................................................54
2.3 Evaluation of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International
Airport .......................................................................................................................59
2.3.1 Strength of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai ...............59
2.3.2 Weaknesses in ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai
International Airport .............................................................................................60
2.3.3 Causes of the weaknessess ...........................................................................61
CHAPTER 3. SOME SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF GROUND
SERVICES OF VIETNAM AIRLINES AT NOIBAI INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ..................................................................................................................68

3.1 Development strategy and the direction of ground services development of
Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International Airport until 2023 ....................................68
3.1.1 Basis for business and production plans for the period 2019-2023 ............68
3.1.2. Vietnam Airlines’ strategic objectives for the period 2019-2023 ...............68
3.1.3 Orientation for ground services development of Vietnam Airlines at .........69
3.2 Some solutions to improve ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai
International Airport..................................................................................................70
3.2.1 Solution to improve reliability .....................................................................70
3.2.2 Solution to improve Responsiveness.............................................................73
3.2.3 Solution to improve service capacity............................................................74
3.2.4 Solution to improve empathy ........................................................................75
3.2.5 Solution to improve tangible means .............................................................75
3.2.6 Other solutions .............................................................................................77
3.3 Some recommendations ......................................................................................83


CONCLUSION .........................................................................................................86
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................87


ABBREVIATION

VNA: Vietnam Airlines
NOC: Noibai Operation Centre
VIAGS: Vietnam airport ground services company limited
NASCO: Northern airport services company
Party: Vietnamese Communist Party

i

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1: Table of classification according to service nature ..................................15
Table 1.2: Criteria to evaluate the reliability of VNA's ground services at Noibai
airport ........................................................................................................................22
Table 1.3: Criteria for evaluating the Responsiveness of VNA's ground services at
Noibai airport ............................................................................................................24
Table 1.4 Criteria to evaluate VNA's ground service capacity in Noibai .................25
Table 1.5: Criteria for evaluating the empathy of ground services of VNA in Noibai ....26
Table 1.6: Criteria for evaluating the tangible means of ground services of VNA in
Noibai ........................................................................................................................27
Table 2.1 Passenger transport indicators for the period 2016-2018 .........................39
Table 2.2 Results of production and business activities in the period of 2016-2018 .......39
Table 2.3: Model Summary.......................................................................................40
Table 2.4: Responsiveness of ground services of VNA at Noibai airport ................45
Table 2.5 Satisfaction level of passengers with tangible means of VNA check-in
service in Noibai .......................................................................................................54
Table 2.6: Customer satisfaction level with tangible means of business lounge
service in Noibai .......................................................................................................56

ii


LIST OF FIGURES
Chart 2.1 The trust level of customers with VNA's ground service in Noibai ------ 41
Chart 2.2 Customer satisfaction level about Staff's communication skills,
professional knowledge -------------------------------------------------------------------- 49
Chart 2.3 Customer satisfaction level about Staff's politeness and frendliness ----- 50
Chart 2.4 Customer satisfaction level about Staff's language proficiency ----------- 51

iii


OPENING CHAPTER
1. Rationale
In 2019-2020, the world economy is forecasted to grow positively, more than
2018 but still implies risks such as global trade tensions, the split between the
internal Europe, the instability of Chinese economy... The socio-economic situation
of Vietnam in 2019 is forecasted to be positive, but in overall, it will still face many
difficulties. In addition to the optimistic forecasts for the domestic economic
situation, the fuel price is likely to rise and the growth potential of the aviation
market, the business environment are still instable and unpredictably fluctuating. In
particular, the competitive situation will be increasingly fierce, both in the domestic
and international markets. Foreign airlines will continue to dump into Vietnam,
compete directly with Vietnam Airlines on both 2 hub airports: Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City. In Vietnam, low cost carriers are continuing to expand their operations
and receive new aircrafts. There will be no flights that Vietnam Airlines has
absolute advantage and there will not be many opportunities that passengers can
only choose Vietnam Airlines. The battle for market share, ensuring revenue will
really be vital to Vietnam Airlines over the network of international and domestic
flights. Due to the difficult market situation, Vietnam Airlines in general and Noibai
Operation Center in particular are under high pressure of competition.
Along with the development of the economy, the demand for travel of the people
is increasing, coupled with the increasing awareness and demand of customers,
customers have more and more chance to choose favorite and suitable airlines.
In order to survive and develop in this fierce competitive environment, the key
issue facing Vietnam Airlines is to improve the quality of service to improve the level of
customer satisfaction in overall and at Noibai international airport in particular.
Recognizing the importance of this issue, the author decides to choose the
topic: "Improving the ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai

international airport" as a research topic for the thesis.
2. Literature review
In recent years there have been studies on the quality of services and the
1


quality of aviation services with different perspectives, research subjects and levels.
They can be summerized as follows:
- The thesis of Master Tran Thi Thu Hoai: "Improving the quality of internet
services at the Data Communication Company - VDC". Code 60.34.05. Thesis was
completed and defended in 2010 at the Institute of Posts and Telecommunications.
Objectives of the study: Analysis and assessment of the quality of internet
services at VDC and proposing some solutions to improve the quality of internet
services at VDC.
Study scope: Quality of internet services at the Data Communication Company
- VDC.
- The dissertation of Doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich: "Completing the law on
public services in the administrative field in Vietnam". Code: 62.38.01.01. The
dissertation was completed and defended in 2012 at Hanoi Law University.
Objectives of the study: Proposing feasible scientific solutions to improve the
law on public services in the administrative field, limiting the shortcomings in the
implementation of the law in order to provide high quality public services in
accordance with the basis of law.
Study scope: Studying the regulations on public services in the administrative
field in Vietnam, elaborating and improving the law, studying and evaluating the
legal provisions on public administrative services.
- The thesis of

Master Ngo Thi Minh: "Improving the quality of legal

consultancy services provided by VIETBID Law co.,ltd".
Objectives of the study: Analysing the status of legal consultancy services at
VIETBID Law co.,ltd, on the basis of finding strengths, weaknesses and causes of
weaknesses of the quality of legal consultancy services of the Company, proposing
some solutions to improve the quality of legal consultancy services of the Company.
Study scope: The thesis concentrated on the research and assessment of the
quality of legal consultancy services at VIETBID Law co.,ltd.
- The thesis of Master Nguyen Viet Tuan: “Researching some solutions to
improve the quality of passenger transportation services - applied to Vietnam
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Airlines". Code 60.84.10. The thesis was completed and defended in 2011 at the
University of Transportation.
Objectives of the study: Analysing the status of passenger transportation of
Vietnam Airlines in the period 2000-2010, proposing solutions to improve the
quality of passenger transportation services of Vietnam Airlines.
Study scope: Situation of passenger transportation on domestic and
international flights of Vietnam Airlines.
The gap of concerning theses: There were some theses studying on the general
quality service improvement, analysing a specific service type of the business such as
firm‟s internet services, law consultancy services but there is no thesis styding on one
arline‟s ground service quality. Moreover, in Vietnam Airlines there is already a thesis
studying on improving the quality of passenger transportation services. However, this
thesis only focused on the qualitative analysis on the overall level of all the services
provided on the whole network of the company, not focused on deep research, has not
built the scale of service quality assessment for the ground services of the company at
Noibai international Airport. Therefore, the study of the topic of “Improving the
ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai international airport” does not
coincide with the previous research topics that the author know and the study of this

topic also has theoretical and practical significance.
3. Aims of research
- Determining the theoretical framework for the ground service quality and
developing a scale for assessing the ground service quality provided by the airlines
at the airport.
- Analysing the status of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai
International Airport, on the basis of which finding the strengths, weaknesses and
causes of weaknesses of this service quality.
- Proposing some solutions to improve the ground service quality of Vietnam
Airlines at Noibai international airport.
The thesis will answer the following basic questions:
- What model can be used to evaluate the quality of Vietnam Airlines‟ ground
3


services at the airport?
- What are the criteria for Vietnam Airlines‟ground services at the airport?
- How is the quality of Vietnam Airlines‟ground services at Noibai airport?
- What to do to improve the quality of ground services of Vietnam Airlines at
Noibai airport?
4. Objects of research
The quality of the ground services of the airline includes the activities of check-in,
lounge, boarding, tranfer and arrival services.
5. Scope of research
The thesis will focus on studying and evaluating the quality of ground services of
Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International Airport. Secondary data will be collected
from 2016 to 2018, primary data will be collected through the survey conducted
from October to November 2018 and solutions to be applied until 2023.
6. Research methodology
6.1 Theoretical framework

Factors affecting the
quality of ground
services of VNA at the
airport
- Factors from the
airline
- Other objective

The quality of ground
services of VNA at the
airport:
1. Reliability
2. Responsiveness
3. Service capacity
4. Empathy

factors

5. Tangible means

Improving the ground
service quality of VNA
at the airport and
customer satisfaction

6.2 Data sourcess
6.2.1 Secondary data source
Secondary data will be derived from reports from Vietnam Airlines, such as Company
Performance Report from 2016-2018, SkyTrax, SkyTeam and other reports.
6.2.2 Primary data source

The thesis will use method of Vietnam Airlines' passenger survey, in-depth
interviewing with customers, leaders and employees of some companies providing
4


and supervising ground services for Vietnam Airlines through surveys and in-depth
questionnaires.
- Investigation by the company’s customer surveys, detail as follows:
+ The survey subjects include: passengers who have been using ground
services of Vietnam Airlines in Noibai airport; leaders, officers and employees of
some companies providing and supervising ground services of Vietnam Airlines at
Noibai airport.
+ Content: Assessment of the quality of Vietnam Airlines ground services in
Noibai airport by scoring on a scale of 1 to 5.
+ Method of issuing surveys: via email, at the counters, or asking directly to
fill in the surveys.
+ Survey period: October to November 2018
- In-depth interview by questionnaires:
+ Interviewees:
1) passengers who have been using ground services of Vietnam Airlines in
Noibai airport.
2) Leaders, officers and employees of some companies providing and
supervising ground services of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai airport.
+ Interview content: general assessment of ground service quality of the
airline at Noibai airport, finding out the causes of weaknesses and suggesting
solutions to improve the quality of ground services for the company.
+ Interview location: Noibai International Airport.
+ Interview method: asking directly or through telephone.
+ Interview time: October to November 2018
6.3 Methods of information processing

The thesis will use analytical and synthesis methods; system analysis method;
method of investigation and statistics; quantitative survey method to study the
quality of ground services of VNA at Nọibai airport. The main method is collecting
information through survey questionnaires, interviews, analysis and team work with
the managers of the companies. Survey and interview results will be processed by
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Exel software, SPSS. The thesis will use inference, regression, generalization to
make conclusions and solutions to improve the quality of ground services of
Vietnam Airlines in Noibai international airport.
7. Thesis structure
Beside the introduction, conclusion, list of references, the thesis consists of 3
chapters:
Chapter 1: Theoretical basis of airline’s ground services at the airport.
1.1 Ground services of airlines at airports
1.2 Quality of ground services of airlines at airports
Chapter 2: Evaluating the ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at
Noibai International Airport.
2.1 Introduction to Vietnam National Airlines
2.2 Status of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai
International Airport
2.3 Evaluation of ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at Noibai
International Airport
Chapter 3: Some solutions to improve the quality of ground services of
Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International Airport.
3.1 Development strategy and the direction of ground services development of
Vietnam Airlines at Noibai International Airport until 2023
3.2 Some solutions to improve ground service quality of Vietnam Airlines at
Noibai International Airport

3.3 Some recommendations

6


CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ON THE AIRLINE’S
GROUND SERVICE QUALITY AT THE AIRPORT
1.1. Airline’s ground service quality at the airport
1.1.1 Definition
When the economy grows, the role of services becomes increasingly important
and services have become the research objects of many different fields: from
economics to culture, law, from administrative to faculty learn management.
Therefore, there are many different concepts of services and different ways of
understanding the meaning of services
From the economic point of view, the nature of the service is the supply to
meet the needs such as tourism, fashion, health care ... and it is profitable.
According to Philip Kotler, “ A service is an act of performance that one party can
offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of
anything. Its implementation may or may not be tied to a physical product”.
According to Article 4.2, Law on Price No. 11/2012 / QH13 of the National
Assembly of Vietnam dated June 20, 2012 which is effective from January 1, 2013:
“Service is intangible goods. Its production process and consumption process are
inseparable, including all types of services in the system of Vietnamese products in
accordance with the law”.
The most widely used current service concept is the concept according to ISO
9004 -2: 1991E: "Service is the result of interaction between suppliers and
customers, thanks to the activities of supplier to meet consumer needs ”.
From the above definition it can be understood that, what is not cultivated, not
producted is a service. For example: hotels, entertainment, insurance, health care,
education, finance, banking, transportation, legal consultance ...

* Definition of airline’s ground service quality at the airport
From the approach of ISO about service, we can give the definition of ground
services of an airline at the airport as follows:
Airline’s ground services at the airport are the result of interaction between
7


the ground service provider at the airport of an airline and the customer, as well as
the activities of the provider in order to meet the needs of consumers of airline
ground services at airports.
1.1.2 The role of ground services of airlines at airports
Air services during flight operation are constituted by many processes.
According to the supply process, air services are comprised of two main groups:
ground services at airports and inflight services. Boundary is used to identify the
responsibilities of each division involved in the services is aircraft door.
The inflight services mean the services provided on an aircraft. These services
include meals, newspapers and magazines, entertainment activities on airplanes
such as video games, movies, wheelchairs, air plane comfort ... These services are
significantly different between business class and economy class.
Airline‟s ground services at airports have a particularly important role in
getting the final service product: perfect inflight services. The final product of the
ground service of the airline at the airport is to satisfy all the pre-and post-flight
needs of the passengers such as suitable seating for passengers on the plane,
reservation of meals, baggage handling, load balancing, guide and control
passengers on board, serve safe and efficient flights, passenger dissembarkation
control, and get checked baggage, guide guests on related tranfer procedures ... If
the airline's ground service is not performed, no flight will be operated. This is an
indispensable chain in the process of providing air services to customers.
Ground service is the first stage of passengers experiencing the service of the
airline at the airport. It creats an initial impression to passengers during the process

of using the services. A bad first impression will create a negative impact on
passegers' perception of the entire service of the entire flight. In particular, in the
case of unusual flights, the time passengers use the ground service at the airport
usually lasts longer, even more than the time the passengers take the flight. The
delay itself has caused passenger dissatisfaction. If the airline's ground service is
perfectly provided, it will be an opportunity to receive empathy from passengers
and thereby build trust and loyalty of passsengers with the airline.
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1.1.3 Characteristics of airline’s ground services at airports
The ground service of the airline at the airport has all 5 characteristics of the service
in general and it also has its own characteristics.
General characteristics of the service
Service is a special product, has many different characteristics from other
goods. There are five characteristics that are often given to differentiate services
from other types of goods: 1) zero loss, 2) intangibility, 3) simultaneity, 4) and 5)
storage inability.
As other services, ground services of airlines at airports also have the full
characteristics of general services:
(1) Zero loss
 Skills and ability to provide services will not be lost after the airline‟s
service providers complete ground services. This success will create the prestige
and enhance the image and brand of the airline with its customers.
 People play an absolutely important role in the quality of ground services
of airlines at airports.
 The quality of ground services of airlines at airports is assessed according
to the perception of customer satisfaction.
(2) Relative Intangibility
 The product of the ground service of the airline at the airport is invisible. It

is the process of communicating between ground staff and passengers to carry out
procedures for passengers, taking passengers to the aircraft. These specific
service steps customers cannot see, taste, touch, smell ... before using as other
commodity products. The results obtained from customers are usually a pleasant
experience or not. Due to this intangible attribute, it is difficult for users to
assess the quality of ground services of the airline at the airport before, during
and even after using the service.
 To reduce uncertainty when using the ground services of airlines at
airports, customers will have to search for information sources such as brand,
reputation of the airline in the market and the cost is commensurate with the quality
9


of service as expected.
(3) Simultaneity of production and consumption
 Production and consumption processes cannot be separated. Customers will
decide the production of the service. An airline cannot create a service without a
passenger. Customers are both consumers and direct participants in the production
process. The production of the service ends when the consumer process ends.
Therefore, customers who need to use ground services from airlines at airports must
contact the service provider directly to satisfy their needs.
 This is a feature that clearly shows the difference between goods and services.
Production and consumption of goods are two separate activities. Goods normally
produced at a production facility are then shipped to where most customers want to buy.
Production and consumption of goods are considered to be separate.
(4) Instability
 Airline ground services are provided by people (ground service staffs) to
people (airline passengers). People may require high- or low-quality service.
Example: Passengers may not buy airline tickets if the service attitude of the ground
staff is not professional, the check-in staff cannot guarantee the aisle seat if the

passenger does not pre-reserve seat before the flight or not request at check-in
counter. Airline ground services at the airport are highly labor-intensive and
characterized by high levels of communication between ground staffs and airline
passengers. The quality of these interactions affects service perception. Especially
human behavior, the attitude of communication with each other, the willingness to
participate and meet the needs of each party, the motives and personal
characteristics are interplaying in the production process and service consumption.
This requires managers to focus more on selecting, training, arranging and treating
employees to provide high quality services.
 Because customers want to be taken care of as individual people, the airline's
ground services are often personalized and heterogeneous. Airlines are difficult to
provide service standards to satisfy all customers in all circumstances because that
satisfaction depends on the perception and expectations of each customer.
10


(5) Storage inability
 Due to the simultaneity of production and consumption of services, the
ground service of the airline at the airport cannot be stored. A check-in counter
cannot be opened during off-peak hours and cannot be stored for additional service
during peak hours. Like the idle time of the check-in staff: when the passengers are
absent, they cannot be reserved for the time when the passengers go east and
accumulate.
 Commodity products can be returned or exchanged for other products, but
the ground service of the airline at the airport cannot be returned.
 It is not possible to check the quality of the ground service of the airline at
the airport before providing it. The airline's ground staff only must comply with the
laws and professional ethics, strictly follow the process, guide from the beginning to
the end.
The specific characteristics of the ground service of the airline at the airport

In addition to the general characteristics mentioned above, the ground services of
airlines at airports also have its own characteristics: 1) Plan nature, 2) Seasonality, 3)
various tangible element containing, 4) high service intensity, 5) safety.
(1) Plan nature
 The biggest feature of the ground services of airlines at the airport is that
services are carried out according to a predetermined plan. This plan is built based
on the seasonal flight schedule (summer flight schedule, winter flight schedule),
according to each specific stage (Tet peak period, summer peak period, 30/4-1/5
peak period ...), by day, by flight. Based on the passenger booking information on
each flight, the manager understands the requirements from the customer on the
seat, the special services (wheelchair, unaccompanied minor take care, baby
bassinet, special meal...), the airline makes plan to serve customers according to
their requirements.
(2) Seasonality
 The airlines are highly dependent on consumers - a typical element of the
outside environment while the demand for air transport services is markedly
11


seasonal. Ground services of airlines at airports are not outside of that rule. Because
the ground services of the airlines at the airport are complex, with the participation
of many manufacturers and suppliers of intermediary services such as check-in,
inflight meal and beverage providing, aircraft technical maintenance, catering
services in case of irregular flights ...) so seasonal changes in consumers also
strongly affect the operation of these manufacturers and supplier and therefore make
the ground services of airlines at the airport also seasonal.
(3) Various tangible element containing
 The technical facilities for ground services at the airport require a high degree
of uniformity, corresponding to the number of flights, the number of customers and the
customer's requirements. The synchronization is expressed in equipment such as the

system of signs, flight information screens, carpets, piles, barriers, publications, all
kinds of machines serving the process of check-in like computers, boarding pass
printer, baggage tag printer, boarding pass reader at boarding gate and in business class
lounge, announcement system, wheelchair, radio ...
(4) High service intensity
 Due to the characteristics of the airport far away from the city, passengers
have the habit of coming to the airport right before take-off time so the service
intensity of the ground service of the airline at Noibai international airport is often
high and in each specific time frame. For some Northeast Asia flights, passengers
often have the habit of coming early and queuing before the opening time, so the
representative must coordinate with the relevant units to open the counters early to
relieve passengers.
(5) Safety
 More than any other industries, aviation is one of the most challenging
industries. Airline‟s motte is S.P.E.C: Safety, Punctuality, Economic and Comfort.
The media often tend to exacerbate aviation accidents stemming from the fact that
plane accidents are often catastrophic and cause great losses both in human and
economic terms. Thus, above all, the safety motto is always set first in air transport
industry. Due to the characteristics of the field of passenger and baggage transport,
12


all employees involved in serving at all service stages are required strictly
adherence to security processes, regulations and Vietnam civil aviation security
program... The goal is to ensure safe and efficient flights.
1.1.4 Airline’s ground service classification
There are many ways to classify ground services of airlines at airports such as
classification according to service objects, service stages, service nature, and
consumption structure.
Classification according to service objects

Depending on the passenger position, the ticket fare, the travel frequency with the
airline, Vietnam Airlines has developed a set of separate service standards and
ground service procedures at the airport, specifically:
- Ground service for business class passenger.
- Ground service for VIP-CIP passenger.
- Ground service for Lotus mile program member
- Ground service for high turnover economy passenger.
- Ground service for VIP foreign passenger.
- Ground service for SkyPriority passenger.
Classification according to service stages
By this classification, the ground service of the airline at the airport consists of
three main groups of services: check-in services, airport services, and boarding
services.
Check-in services include welcoming passengers at the airport, check-in
procedures for passengers: economy class passengers, business class passengers,
group passengers, web check-in passengers, VIP passengers, CIP passengers, Lotus
mile program passengers ...In the process of check-in procedures for passenger, the
staffs comply with the procedures: greeting, receiving tickets and relevant
documents according to the regulations of the airport authorities, asking passengers
about the needs of the seats, issuing the boarding pass, asking passengers about
checked baggage, weighing and printing checked baggage tags, and guiding
passenger for follow-up procedures (security check, boarding gate, time passenger
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must be present at the boarding gate for the flight ...).
Service at the airport is determined from the time the passenger completes
check-in procedures until boarding time. This service includes 2 groups: airport
services for passengers and airport services for luggage. Airport services for
passengers include: passenger assistance at security, border police, customs;

notifying passengers on board on time; guiding and welcoming guests to the hotel;
serving food or beverage in case of delayed flight, cancelled flights; welcoming and
guiding passengers on international and domestic flights; transfer procedures;
assisting passengers with special needs, medical services, business lounge
services... Airport services for luggage include: lost and found services (tracing for
lost luggage, instructing passengers about luggage compensation procedures,
passengers' luggage preservation and, abnormal luggage handling, special luggage
service (government documents, diplomatic bag ...).
The boarding service is determined from the time passengers are notified to
board the plane until they sit on the plane. It is carried out by two ways: by aerobridge or by bus. Boarding staff will be present at the boarding gate 10 minutes
before boarding time for preparation, passenger invitation, instruction and passenger
control to ensure that passengers aboard the plane on time, without causing excess
or lack of passenger which affects the safety and timeliness of the flight.
Classification according to service nature
Based on the nature of the service, Christopher H. Lovelock (1983) classified
the services into two types: tangible services and intangible services corresponding
to people and object.

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Table 1.1: Table of classification according to service nature
Services for
People

Tangible

The
nature

Object

-

Check-in

- Checked baggage

-

Meal and beverage

- Baggage

-

Hotel accommodation

-

Business lounge.

-

Taxi, hotel service in

loading

on

airplane
- Service for oversized
and special baggages

case of irregular flight

of
service
Intangible

-

Annoucement

- Tracing and resolution

-

Medical service

for

-

Transit tour

cases.

-

Boarding

irregular

baggage

(Source: the author synthesized)
Classification according to consumption structure
According to the consumption structure, the ground service of the airline at the
airport is divided into two groups: basic services and additional services.
Basic services are the main services that the airline provides to its customers
to satisfy basic, indispensable needs of customers such as check-in services, airport
services, and boarding services.
Additional services are services provided to customers to satisfy nonmandatory needs but must be available in the service business such as excess
baggage service, seat upgrade service at the airport, through check-in service,
destination language support service, web check-in service, kiosk check-in, transfer
support service, unaccompanied minor suppoty service...
1.2 Ground service quality of an airline at the airport
1.2.1. Definition of ground service quality of an airline at the airport
Service quality is also a concept that is interesting to researchers. The
definition and measurement of service quality is relatively difficult and there is no
consensus on both. Since the early 1980s, researchers have focused on the research
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