A Study of the Application of Information and Communications Technology in Customer Relationship Management in Selected Airlines in Nigeria

This study examined the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices used in selected airlines in the Nigerian Aviation industry. It investigated the factors influencing the effective deployment of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for CRM and determined the effects of ICT on the performance of the industry. The study was conducted in the Head Offices of the local airlines (Lagos state and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja). A multistage sampling technique was employed to select ten local airlines and ten travel agencies. Two hundred Airline passengers were randomly selected for the study. Primary data were collected using three sets of questionnaire. Data obtained were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the adoption of ICT in airlines operations significantly reduced operational costs (r = -0.791*, p = 0.011), improved service quality (r = 0.732*, p =0.025) and improved identification of high value customers. The study concluded that the effective deployment of ICT assisted the Airlines in rendering better services to their passengers and facilitated a robust performance of their operations.