Article’s

This study offers a data-driven analysis of Airport Service Quality (ASQ) performance at 16 major airports operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) during the 2024-2025 period. The research draws on eight quarters of standardized ACI World survey data. Covers 32 service parameters and includes 120 pooled cross-sectional observations. The study isolates the true structural drivers of Overall Passenger Satisfaction by applying correlation analysis, ordinary least squares regression, standard deviation-based volatility modelling, and gap analysis. The analysis reveals that staff interactions dominate as predictors of Overall Satisfaction. Courtesy and Helpfulness of Airport Staff (r = 0.742), Ambience (r = 0.695), and Health Safety (r = 0.708) together explain 54.4% of the variance in a parsimonious OLS model. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi Service Quality and Availability of Charging Stations present a different picture. Their base scores were low in 2024, 3.91 and 4.32, respectively, and they emerged as the highest-volatility, highest-improvement parameters across both years. This points to a pattern of systemic underinvestment in digital infrastructure that is now being corrected, though unevenly. Srinagar (SXR) stood out as a statistically significant underperformer relative to the system mean (t = 4.42, p = 0.022), with a structural deficit concentrated in commercial amenities, entertainment, and digital connectivity. Indore (IDR) and Goa (GOI) anchor the performance frontier and provide replicable benchmarks. A behavioural economics framework distinguishes Hygiene Factors from Delighter parameters. Deficiencies in Hygiene Factors produce disproportionate dissatisfaction, while Delighters generate satisfaction uplift when exceeded. Applied strategically, this framework supports a targeted capital expenditure prioritization matrix. The matrix recommends an infrastructure investment sequence designed to maximize returns on Overall Satisfaction. By the ACI World elasticity estimate, each percentage point of satisfaction gained produces a 1.5x multiplier effect on non-aeronautical revenue.