AIRPORT SERVICE QUALITY AWARDS – WINNER REACTION

Airports across the planet are beginning to respond to the news that they have been named the world’s best in ACI’s 2018 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer experience awards.

Welcoming the news that London City Airport has won joint top spot for Best Airport in Europe for airports in the 2-5mppa category, CEO, Robert Sinclair, said: “London City Airport has gained a reputation over the years for offering a world class passenger experience, and this award from ACI World is confirmation of it.

“Our vision is to make air travel to and from the heart of London as quick and easy as possible, with a growing range of airlines and routes which make London City a perfect choice whether for business or leisure.

“A massive thank you must go to our dedicated staff and business partners, who day in, day out, go that extra mile to provide an airport experience that our passengers truly love.”

In 2019 the airport expects to break the five million passenger mark for the first time in its history and has already commenced new routes to Warsaw, Budapest, Newcastle and Munich, with Split and Vilnius to follow in the summer.

Indianapolis International Airport, named as the Best Airport in North America in the 5-15mppa category for the seventh straight year, says that the award caps a record-breaking year for the gateway which welcomed an all-time high of 9.4 million passengers in 2018.

“This award is based on input directly from passengers that have actually flown out of and into the Indy airport, and who have a first-hand experience with us,” notes Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

“This in-depth feedback not only has earned us the title over eight years, it is crucial to how we continue to invest in the airport and enhance its value to the community in the decades to come.”

The ASQ awards are determined based on passenger feedback independently collected by the ACI programme on the day that passengers travel.

In 2018 it shared the No.1 spot with San Antonio and Jacksonville. San Antonio International Airport’s aviation director, Russ Handy, comments: “It is always our goal to put passengers first and it’s an honour to be recognised as one of the world’s best airports for the quality of our customer service.

“This is truly a significant achievement for the amazing team I have the privilege of serving with, and something that all stakeholders of SAT and our surrounding community should be very proud of. The airport has a world-wide reputation for our excellence in customer service.”

San Antonio scored high in overall satisfaction, ground transportation, check-in waiting time, efficiency of staff, courtesy at check-in, terminal cleanliness, ease of wayfinding, Internet/Wi-Fi, safety and security.

SAT and all the other winners will be honoured in September at the ASQ Forum and ACI Customer Experience Global Summit to be held in Bali, Indonesia.

Dublin Airport, the joint winner in the Best Airport in Europe category for airports handling 25-40mppa, believes that its success its down to the hard work of airport staff.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Dublin Airport has won an ACI Airport Service Quality Award,” enthuses managing director, Vincent Harrison.

“This is a highly prestigious international customer service award based on detailed passenger studies carried out globally.

“This award is a huge endorsement for the entire team at Dublin Airport. Since 2014, our passenger numbers have increased by 45% to a record 31.5 million last year, and throughout that period, we have had a relentless focus on providing the best possible experience to our growing number of customers.

“We will continue to put the passenger at the heart of everything we do at Dublin Airport.”

Dublin shared its category win with Oslo Gardermoen and Zurich airports.

Global airport operator, Groupe ADP, notes that three of its airports enjoyed success in the 2018 ASQ awards – Skopje (Best in Europe handling under 2mppa); Zagreb (Best in Europe in the 2-5mppa category); and Amman-Queen Alia (Best in Middle East in 5-15mppa category).

Chief international officer, Fernando Echegaray, says: “These awards celebrate the consistency of the commitment and professionalism of the teams deployed all around the world by Groupe ADP and its partners.

“They reflect the international recognition of our achievements in airport design and management, and in the quality of services to passengers.

“Year-after-year, our airports are climbing to the highest international standards. This gives us added confidence in our deployment strategy which aims at creating value in our international network of airports.”

Another airport in celebratory mode is Southampton in the UK, which finished joint top in the 2-5mppa category for Best Airport in Europe.

 “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award, marking Southampton Airport’s place at the very top of airports in Europe for customer excellence,” says managing director, Neil Garwood.

“Our passengers have given us a massive vote of confidence in the service we provide, and this is testament to the hard work of everyone at the airport.

“The award belongs to everybody who works here, and I am hugely proud of my team.

“The future of the airport is looking extremely bright with our exciting development plans, and this accolade recognising how well we treat our passengers fundamentally supports our blueprint for growth.  Our passengers have shown they want to see us grow.

“This award is a massive boost in our ambition to become our region’s airport of choice.”