The Impact of Airline Service Quality on Passengers' Satisfaction and Loyalty Towards Citilink Indonesia: The Moderating Influence of Price Sensitivity

Annisa Wanda Fadillah, Widya Paramita, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D.

2026 | Tesis | S2 MANAJEMEN (MM) JAKARTA

Pasar maskapai berbiaya rendah di Indonesia menjadi semakin kompetitif seiring masuknya sejumlah maskapai baru setelah pandemi COVID-19, sehingga kualitas layanan menjadi pembeda penting dalam mempertahankan penumpang. Ketika Generasi Z menjadi segmen penumpang yang dominan, pemahaman mengenai cara mereka menilai kualitas layanan serta mengubahnya menjadi kepuasan dan loyalitas menjadi sangat penting bagi Citilink Indonesia. Penelitian ini menguji pengaruh kualitas layanan maskapai yang diukur melalui model AIRQUAL terhadap kepuasan dan loyalitas pelanggan pada penumpang Generasi Z Citilink Indonesia, dengan kepuasan pelanggan sebagai mediator dan sensitivitas harga sebagai moderator. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode survei. Data primer dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner daring yang disebarkan kepada penumpang Generasi Z yang memiliki pengalaman langsung terbang dengan CItilink Indonesia, dan memperoleh 459 respons valid melalui teknik purposive sampling. Data dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) dengan SmartPLS, mencangkup evaluasi model pengukuran, model struktural, serta pengujian mediasi dan moderasi.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kelima dimensi AIRQUAL, yaitu Airline Tangibles (AT), Terminal Tangibles (TT), Personnel Service (PS), Empathy (E), dan Airline Image (AI), berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepuasan pelanggan, dengan Empathy dan Airline Image sebagai dimensi paling dominan. Kepuasan pelanggan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap loyalitas pelanggan serta memediasi hubungan antara sebagian besar dimensi AIRQUAL dengan loyalitas. Sensitivitas harga tidak memoderasi secara signifikan hubungan antara kualitas layanan dan kepuasan. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa Citilink Indonesia sebaiknya memprioritaskan layanan yang empatik dan citra maskapai yang terpercaya untuk memperkuat kepuasan dan loyalitas penumpang Generasi Z.

Indonesia's low-cost carrier market has grown increasingly competitive following the entry of several new airlines after the COVID-19 pandemic, making service quality a critical differentiator for retaining passengers. As Generation Z becomes a dominant segment of air travellers, understanding how they evaluate service quality and translate it into satisfaction and loyalty is essential for Citilink Indonesia. This study examines the effect of airline service quality, measured through the AIRQUAL model, on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty among Citilink Indonesia's Generation Z passengers, with customer satisfaction as a mediator and price sensitivity as a moderator. This study adopts a quantitative approach using a survey method. Primary data were collected through an online questionnaire distribute to Generation Z passengers who had direct experience flying with Citilink Indonesia, yielding 450 valid responses obtained through purposive sampling. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS, covering measurement model assessment, structural model assessment, mediation, and moderating testing.

The findings show that all five AIRQUAL dimensions, namely Airline Tangibles (AT), Terminal Tangibles (TT), Personnel Service (PS), Empathy (E), and Airline Image (AI), positively and significantly influence customer satisfaction, with Empathy and Airline Image emerging as the most dominant. Customer satisfaction, in turn, has a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty and mediates the relationship between most AIRQUAL dimensions ad loyalty. Price sensitivity does not significantly moderate the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, but it has a significant direct negative effect on satisfaction, These result suggest that Citilink Indonesia should prioritize empathetic service and a trustworthy airline image to strengthen the satisfaction and loyalty of Generation Z passengers.

Kata Kunci : AIRQUAL Model, Generasi Z, Kepuasan Pelanggan, Kualitas Layanan Maskapai, Loyalitas Pelanggan, Maskapai Berbiaya Rendah, Sensitivitas Harga