Mobile Apps: Improve Airports' Brand Image and Differentiate Among Competitors

The image airports project via their applications (apps) affects -- directly or indirectly--passengers' satisfaction. Today, airports are competing among each other to attract more airlines and passengers to improve commercial revenues. Airport apps (as mobile marketing tools) are offering a wide range of opportunities to both passengers and airports. Apps are the best solution if airports want to improve the passenger experience as well as differentiate themselves from their competitors. The results from this investigation reveal that an airport's image-perception has either a positive or negative effect on customer satisfaction. Our structural equation model confirms that the projection of the airport image on an app improves passengers' sense of security-control, along with cross selling. This paper provides a glimpse to how commercial activities in airports will function with interactive media.