Análise das expectativas dos consumidores de companhias aéreas brasileiras durante a pandemia de Covid-19 através da aplicação das ferramentas SERVQUAL e análise fatorial

Abstract

Understanding consumer behavior is a crucial factor when offering a product or service. With regard to the service, it is important that the company is engaged in understanding and providing all the elements that the customer considers relevant to decide which service to consume and judge its quality. In this sense, the air transport sector is an important logistics link worldwide, promoting speed and security in the transportation of cargo and passengers, being of great importance in the economic development of any country. The Brazilian market is dominated by three large companies: Azul Linhas Aéreas, Gol Linhas Aéreas and LATAM Brasil, which accounted for 96% of the country's passenger demand in 2019. However, despite being a major player in the country's economic and tourist development, deals with the sensitivity of factors such as geographic, political and health, as is the case of the pandemic caused by the complication of the outbreak of the new coronavirus in 2020. As it is a service directly linked to tourism, it suffered significant impacts with lockdown and establishment closings. In this sense, airlines needed to readjust and promote the transport service even at a time of adversity, as in the case cited. For this, there was a massive investment in sanitation and adaptation of service protocols, meeting the requirements of the sanitary and aeronautical regulatory bodies. This study aimed to analyze the quality expectations from the perspective of air service consumers, also based on the protocol changes caused by such factors. From the SERVQUAL tool together with factor analysis, it was possible to verify that consumers expect the air service to be done in a safe way, ensuring hygiene and effective communication with their public. This research was important to understand how the consumer of air transport in Brazil behaves and expects from airlines with regard to quality service.