Evaluating the service requirements of combination air cargo carriers

The purpose of this paper is to assess the service requirements of combination air cargo carriers (CACCs). Firstly, based on the CACC's operational features and relevant literature, the service requirement attributes (SRAs) of CACCs were investigated. A gap index based on Fuzzy AHP was then proposed to evaluate the perceived differences toward those SRAs between CACC users and CACC operators. Finally, as an empirical study, the CACCs in Taiwan and their users were investigated to validate the model. The results indicate CACC users pay much attention to SRAs: Perfect cargo delivery, Adequate shipping spaces, Accurate cargo delivery and Staff's professional knowledge. While, the SRAs with higher gaps for CACCs in Taiwan are: Stable flights, Adequate flight spots and Special cargo delivery. Based on those results, the theoretical and managerial implications for CACCs in improving service quality are discussed.