Geographical analysis of airport choice factors among domestic air travelers in Nigeria

Abstract

An effective airline operation is largely a function of the quality of service provided by the host airports. There are numerous studies outlining different factors on the determinants of airline choice or preference, but there is very limited information in this regard on airport’s choice among domestic air travelers in Nigeria. The rationale for this study is two-fold. Firstly, the study attempts to establish what influences the choice of airport among domestic air travelers. The second rationale is to significantly contribute to the enrichment of the existing literature on airport choice among air travelers. This paper, therefore attempts to identify the determining factors for choice of airport, particularly where airport is found in towns that are separated by few distance. Primary data was adopted for this study using a structured questionnaire focusing on the determinant factors of airport’s choice. A total of 493 domestic air travelers were sampled using the systematic random sampling method. The result of the hypothesis revealed that route availability and airfare were significant factors that influenced the choice of airports among passengers. Furthermore, the stepwise multiple regression analysis results showed that the availability of aircraft for passenger destinations was a strong influence at 91.1% (F = 28875.881, p<0.05). The study, however, identified the factor that determines choice of airport. Also, apart from enriching the literature, this finding is expected to assist policy makers to formulate policies that could further entrench equity in the provision of air service to the people in the nearest future.