The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) introduced a Service Quality Rebate scheme in July 2003, with the aim of improving service standards at Gatwick Airport. The scope of the scheme has been regularly reviewed to include further measures, with the latest of these reviews in April 2009 adding security queuing measures for flight connections, staff search and external control posts.

The scheme covers service quality performance in the following areas:

• Availibility of Passenger Sensitive Equipment (PSE), which includes lifts, escalators, conveyors (moving walkways) and the inter-terminal transit system. The PSE has been split into two groups, a priorty list and a general list, to ensure key equipment is identified and monitored closesly, whilst keeping the rest of the equipment maintained
• Availibility of arrivals baggage reclaim belts
• Availability of airfield assets; fixed electrical ground power (for aircraft on stands), stands and jetties (loading bridges)
• Security queuing at the departures search area, flight connections, staff search and external control posts (the security search for catering, flight crews and maintenance equipment)
• Aerodrome congestion, measured by comparing actual runway flows during ‘material events’ to expected runway flow rates
• The Quality of Service Monitor, encorporating the following four elements; passenger perception of the availability of seating in the departures lounge, reading, understanding and finding  flight information screens, wayfinding i.e. the ease of finding your way around or between the terminals, and the cleanliness of check-in, departure lounge, arrivals concourse areas and toilets within the terminal buildings. 

The Quality of Service Monitor (QSM])is a continuous customer service monitor conducted amongst a cross-section of departing and arriving passengers by Gatwick’s market research team. Passengers are asked to rate their perceived experience of the service/facilities during the course of their journey through the airport. A QSM SQR score is calculated according to a formula as required by the CAA, based on various aspects within each of the four areas. Specific scores in each area are then weighted according to usage.

Performance standards have been set by the CAA. If Gatwick fails to achieve any of these then rebates are paid to the Gatwick based airlines. Some elements within the scheme have a higher rebate penalty than others.

The maximum amount of rebate penalty currently payable is 7% of airport charges income over the course of the financial year (from April to the following March). This means that approximately £17 million at Gatwick is 'at risk'. For each month below target, the rebate is paid for that element upto a cap of six months. Additonally the CAA have included a bonus scheme to further encourage high performance to the benefit of passengers. The maximum additional revenues achievable via bonuses at Gatwick 2.24 % of airport charges, approximately £5 million.

View our Service Quality Rebate reports