Airport Business Excellence Model: A holistic performance management system

This study proposes for the first time the Airport Business Excellence Model (ABEM) as a specific version of the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) and tests it in 143 airports worldwide. Based on diverse theoretical premises and applying a Structural Equation Modelling, the study first maps the main Key Performance Areas (KPAs) with their individual indicators and then explores the complex network of causal linkages among them within the multidimensional airport business system. The causal paths are conceptualized in a performance pyramid, where influence flows from the top Strategic Enablers through Human and Operational Enablers to produce Primary and Secondary Results. In addition, Importance Performance Analysis reveals that Employee Results are the most Critical Success Factor for airport excellence, followed by Leadership and Operational Results. Overall, the study sheds light on the airports' ‘black box’ and exhibits the interactions of its ‘software’ assets nested in the multiple airport stakeholders.