Service quality and customer satisfaction of a UAE-based airline: An empirical investigation

•The research identified a model of service quality in Dubai airline context.•The service quality model identified six dimensionsconsidering SERVQUAL.•SQ, PV, and BI have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction.•Customer satisfaction leads to brand loyalty.

This paper investigates the linkages among service quality, service provider image, customer expectations, perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in a Dubai-based airline. Initially, the determinants of service quality were identified utilizing the SERVQUAL framework with some modification. Service quality was then used as an antecedent to measure customer satisfaction, a condition which can bring about brand loyalty. In a research initiative using a quantitative approach, data from 253 questionnaires was analyzed. Using structure equation modeling, the data analysis suggests that service quality, perceived value, and brand image have a positive significant impact on customer satisfaction, which can in turn lead to brand loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.