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    Investigating the impacts of aviation subsidies on regional wellbeing in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Wu, Hanjun
    Air transport plays an important role in maintaining regional connectivity and accessibility, which links geographically dispersed areas of New Zealand. The regional aviation subsidy policy vacuum in New Zealand highlights the need to understand the relationship between aviation subsidies and regional wellbeing outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated economies and many sectors worldwide, including the aviation industry, which has also amplified the challenges for smaller, financially fragile regional airlines and airports in New Zealand. Therefore, this PhD thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the inter-relationships among aviation subsidies, air transport activity, and regional wellbeing by investigating the case of New Zealand. Chapter 1 systematically reviews the prior literature and publications for obtaining a better understanding of how aviation subsidies and their relationship with regional wellbeing have been researched, which provide an initial foundation for the other chapters in this thesis. The findings highlight the effects of aviation subsidies on various facets of regional wellbeing and imply that the full picture of aviation subsidies’ impacts on regional wellbeing remains uncertain. Chapter 2 delineates stakeholders’ perspectives and opinions about the key air transport and regional wellbeing indicators that need to be considered for designing and implementing aviation subsidies. The findings highlight the necessity of integrating economic and social wellbeing into regional subsidy policy design and implementation. Chapter 3 analyses the inter-relationships among aviation subsidies (i.e. airport subsidies), air transport activity, and regional wellbeing during the pre-COVID era. The findings indicate that the provision of airport subsidies benefited smaller and remote airports/regions and stimulated airline services, thereby promoting regional economic prosperity. Moreover, the results suggest that airport authorities in New Zealand should form stronger partnerships and coordinate with policymakers to ensure that airport subsidies are factored into their policies for regional economic development. Chapter 4 examines aviation subsidies’ impacts on regional air passenger flows during the post-COVID lockdown period. It was found that airline subsidies under a trial national aviation funding scheme (i.e. the Essential Transport Connectivity (ETC) scheme) positively impacted regional air travel during the post-COVID lockdown period. Overall, the four chapters of this thesis contribute to the air transport literature on the aviation subsidy‒regional wellbeing nexus, and also offer policy insights to establish a national aviation subsidy framework in the post-COVID-19 era.
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    Rethinking the brand concept for air transportation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Henderson, Isaac Levi
    The study of brands and branding in the aviation industry is not new. However, in common with the more general branding literature, there is a fundamental problem at the centre of research: what is the subject of study? This is the problem of brand definition and, in common with most of the branding literature, it is not unusual to find studies of the brand or branding in the aviation literature where the understanding of the brand concept differs between authors. This thesis emphasises the need to have clarity of definition before proceeding to research a concept. The solution to the problem of brand definition is a return to what is described as the Label and Associations Model (LAM), as highlighted in Chapter 1. In the LAM, the brand is conceptualised as a trade name/logo that identifies a product and/or service or firm. The interesting point of study in this model is not the brand itself, but the brand associations (what comes to mind upon the presentation of a brand). The LAM is applied to study airline brand choice (Chapter 2), airport brand association structures, and airport brand choice (Chapters 3 and 4). The application of the LAM was done in conjunction with the guiding methodological principles of the thesis, which involved the free elicitation of brand associations to avoid self-generated validity and construct creation, as well as recognise heterophenomenology. Combining the LAM with free elicitation meant using the brand name or logo to elicit associations stored in long-term memory. This approach provides both clarity as to the subject of study (with the brand being a name or logo), while allowing participants to provide any form of association without prompting or bias from the researcher. The result of this approach is new research findings, theory, and managerial implications for the aviation industry. This thesis demonstrates that it is the tangible product/service attributes (e.g., price, reliability, facilities) that air travellers are most likely to associate with airline and airport brands, rather than more abstract associations (e.g., reputation, loyalty, social responsibility). Other insightful findings include discovering a new type of brand (termed as a compound brand) that applies to airports and highlighting the role of double jeopardy within airline markets. These contributions were only possible due to the use of the LAM in conjunction with the free elicitation of brand associations, thus unifying the thesis conceptually and methodologically.
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    Impact of airline service quality on overall and female passengers' satisfaction : a case study of Tonga's domestic aviation market : a 190.893 (120 credit) research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Aviation at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Siu, Analena Talikimuli
    The primary objectives of this thesis are to determine the direct impact of airline service quality on passengers’ satisfaction in Tonga’s domestic aviation market. The determinants of airline service quality were identified by using the SERVQUAL dimensions (assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and tangibles) as measurable indicators. A survey was conducted and 205 questionnaires were collected and analysed. Empirical results obtained via the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach revealed that airline service quality has a direct impact on overall and female passengers’ satisfaction. Furthermore, both overall and female passengers were mostly satisfied with the responsiveness dimension. The tangibles dimension was the dimension with the lowest level of satisfaction for overall passengers and the reliability dimension was the dimension with the lowest satisfaction for female passengers. Importantly, the research highlights the different levels of satisfaction among airline passengers in the monopolistic Tongan domestic aviation market. The findings have implications for the airline management.
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    Exploring the development potential of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Aviation at Massey University, (Manawatu), New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Gamraoyi, Khaled
    This thesis will examine the possible factors that could greatly influence the future development of the legacy carrier of Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Airlines. Furthermore, this thesis delved into the feasibility of a new route from Jeddah to Auckland and how this route could impact the growth of Saudi Arabian Airlines. The research questions were answered through the use of a mixed method approach. The research was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved environmental scanning through the process of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, where the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment of Saudi Arabian Airlines were appraised. It also examined the possible opportunities and threats of the external environment (i.e. the Middle East region), where Saudi Arabian Airlines is situated. The second phase involved a survey where the feasibility of a new route (i.e. Jeddah–Bali–Auckland) was examined and evaluated. The results suggested that the exponential growth of the aviation industry in the Middle East can be capitalized by Saudi Arabian Airlines by using its recognized strengths and addressing the concerns that have emerged in this study. A possible strategy by which these concerns can be addressed is through establishing a new route that Saudi Arabian Airlines can take advantage of in the future to fulfil its ambitions of becoming one of the top airlines in the aviation industry. One specific route that the thesis examines is the Jeddah–Bali–Auckland route, where there is a substantial market which will yield an increased profit margin and therefore impact the growth of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
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    Emerging passenger preferences in an era of global deregulation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Aviation at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Goodall, Brad
    This thesis draws on insights and practices of the complex nature and workings of the aviation and airline industry respectively. This is followed by an assessment on the effects global deregulation has had on the industry, airlines and their passengers. The impact weak demand for air travel resulting directly from a sluggish economy, the outbreak of war, terrorism and world health scares is also investigated. The thesis then moves into an examination of airline passengers and how airlines attempt to categorise them. In particular it gives a perspective into the new nature of leisure and business passengers. Different airline business models are also discussed through an in-depth analysis of the organisational frameworks by which they operate. Increased levels of competition throughout the industry have reinforced the need for airlines to develop their business model to the characteristics of their target market to achieve differentiation and competitive advantages. The core issue surrounding this thesis is then discussed and focuses on exactly what passenger preferences are for different products and service amenities. The importance of discovering these preferences has become vital with airlines budgets at an all time low finding the satisfaction that matters while keeping the customer profitability satisfied has become that much greater. This involves looking at the value placed in the various products and services and subsequently the cost involved to the airline. The combination of these products and services are then examined and the trade off's passengers make when choosing between alternative airlines. This helps airlines add or remove any product discrepancies to ensure passengers remain attracted, satisfied and loyal all while remaining competitive and profitable. The thesis then details passenger complaints and service recovery along with other strategies implemented by airlines to keep their passenger loyal. This is proving to become an increasingly difficult task to achieve as both leisure and business passengers appear to switch between brands to the one offering the best deal at that point of time. The final topic of discussion relates to the future impact of budget carriers dedicated solely to the long haul market and the popularity of the new generation Airbus A380 among airlines and their passengers.
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    The effects of joining a strategic alliance group on airline efficiency, productivity and profitability : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Lin, Bo
    A global airline strategic alliance group is a larger cooperation formed by several airlines in order to obtain strategic advantages in their business operations. Nowadays, airline strategic alliance groups have become an important sector of the airline industry and also tend to have dominance in airline business. Airlines want join a strategic alliance group in order expand their business and reduce their costs – and expect to. However, the true benefits of the effects of a strategic alliance group still remain unclear. Little research has been done on how airline alliance strategic groups affect changes in airline performance. This study adopts three different empirical quantitative analyses to reveal the effects of a strategic alliance group on airline performance. The performance indicators included airline technical efficiency, productivity and profitability. The research focuses on 20 international airlines during the 1995–2005 periods from two major categories: allied airlines, which included three global airline strategic alliance groups, and non-allied airlines. The research used data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis to assess the airlines? technical efficiency, while panel regression analysis for airline productivity and profitability. The results suggest that joining an airline strategic alliance group generally will have positive effects on its member airlines? technical efficiency, productivity and profitability. However, the results are not statistically significant. This implies that the effects of an airline alliance group are practically unimportant to the airline performance, particularly during the study period. Thus this research reveals that airlines joining the alliance group may not necessarily achieve significant improvements in their performance. During the pre-maturity stage of the alliance group, joining an alliance does not necessary bring positive effects to the airlines? performance. Secondly, the research suggests that alliance group membership numbers do not always have a positive impact on the airline performance, so alliance groups should consider their size. For newly entering airlines, choosing a relatively smaller alliance group can reduce the entry cost. Moreover, the research also shows that there is a minimum membership duration before an airline can receive alliance group membership benefits. It implies that airlines who seek to join the alliance group as a quick solution will not have their expectations met. Further, the research has confirmed the strong year effect existing in the airline industry, which further suggested that alliance group effects are limited and should not be considered as a universal solution.