Quality risk assessment model for airline services concerning Taiwanese airlines

• This study developed a quality risk assessment model for airline service by integrating the Kano model and FMEA.
• This study targeted two major Taiwanese airlines, and we used a questionnaire for data collection.
• The evaluation of quality risk was quantified, and improvement priorities were provided for different attributes, providing these two airlines with an effective strategy for managing and improving their service quality.

Whereas most studies have focused on elevating the service quality of airlines, few have explored quality risks from the viewpoint of customer dissatisfaction caused by poor service. For this study, we designed a quality risk assessment model that measures quality risk for airline services by integrating the Kano model, degrees of importance and satisfaction, and the failure mode and effects analysis. Data were collected for Taiwanese airlines through a questionnaire. The application of the proposed quality risk assessment model revealed several high-risk services, such as employee service attitudes, the ability of employees to manage customer complaints, the comfort of airplane seats, in-flight snack services, and flight punctuality. Finally, this study presents a discussion on the managerial implications and recommends directions for future research.