Quality management practices in the south east Asian airlines' operations function

Despite the recent Asian economics crisis (1997-1998), air traffic volumes in Asia-Pacific will continue to grow over the next decade. As the market is becoming moreand more attractive, the competition amongst the airlines operating in the region haschallenged the Southeast Asian carriers. The demanded quality of product/service bythe customer has become a crucial issue.The ability to provide quality products and services is increasingly becoming a keydeterminant of an airline's business success. The quality of any organisation'sproducts and services is determined by the core business or operational processes thatcreate them. If the chain of processes is made effective and efficient, then theresulting products and services will also be effective and efficient.Airline business activities consist of sales and marketing, engineering andmaintenance, flight operations, and ground services. For the purpose of this study theoperations function, which consists of aircraft maintenance, flight operations andground services, becomes a focus, as it is the core activity of operational processesthat causes the success or failure of delivering quality products and services to thecustomer.The study was aimed at developing a model of quality management practices for theoperations function of the `developing' airlines of Southeast Asia. It was conductedthrough extensive literature and field studies, based on the quality managementpractices of certain airlines in Southeast Asia and Western Europe.The study found that there were twelve critical success factors of quality practices inthe operations function, which should be managed differently depending on theairlines' organisational contexts, in order to keep their operational effectiveness andefficiency at the required level. The findings configured a model that providesairlines' executives or managers with guidelines, which they can consult in theirdecision-making process when conducting quality improvement for their organisation.They may well be used by other airlines as well. The findings from the study also contribute to the knowledge of process quality, andthe applicability of the quality concept developed in the social and businessdisciplines of airlines' operational organisation.