Environmental Sustainability in Airport Operations and Passenger Satisfaction: Evidence from Al-Ahsa Airport

This study examines passengers’ perceptions of environmental sustainability practices at Al-Ahsa International Airport and investigates whether these practices are reflected in passenger satisfaction, within the broader policy context of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It contributes to the emerging literature on perceived environmental sustainability in airport service environments, particularly in regional and developing aviation contexts. The analysis draws on a structured questionnaire administered to 302 passengers, supported by relevant secondary data, and combines descriptive statistics, a SWOT analysis and an ordinal logistic regression model to explore three practical dimensions of environmental performance, namely energy and climate initiatives, waste management practices, and environmentally supportive infrastructure. The results indicate that passengers are generally satisfied with the airport’s environmental performance, with waste management and sustainability-oriented infrastructure showing a statistically significant and positive association with passengers’ satisfaction. Energy and climate practices also exhibit a statistically significant positive effect; however, their impact is comparatively weaker than that of waste management and infrastructure. The findings therefore point to the need to expand clean and renewable energy investments while also making such efforts more visible through targeted awareness activities for passengers and staff, alongside continued improvements in infrastructure that support environmentally responsible behaviour, as part of the airport’s transition towards a greener and more tourism-supportive facility.