Incheon takes airport customer experience to the next level

Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) has became the first airport in the world to achieve the new Level 5 status in ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme.

The announcement was made today at the ACI Customer Experience Global Summit in Kraków.

Incheon dominated ACI World’s annual customer service excellence awards the early years, being named the Best Airport in the World for 12 straight years, which led to it becoming one of the first gateways inducted into the ASQ Hall of Fame.

ACI World’s Airport Customer Experience (CX) Accreditation programme is the first and currently the only CX accreditation in the airport industry which guides the airport ecosystem in becoming customer-centric and ultimately improving the overall airport experience.

Participating airports take part in a comprehensive review and training process that includes stakeholder and employee engagement and staff development.

Since ACI launched the world’s first Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme in 2019, some 60 airports around the world have joined the program to improve their customer experience management.

Incheon International Airport Corporation’s president and CEO, Kyung Wook Kim, said: “It is a great honour for Incheon Airport to be accredited as the first Level 5 airport which is the top level of the programme.

“This proves that we have put lots of effort in bettering customer experience and shows our focus on exceptional customer experience. We will continue providing experiential values to our passengers, going beyond their expectations.”

While ACI Asia-Pacific’s director general, Stefano Baronci, said: “Incheon Airport continues to raise the bar in transforming passenger experiences in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment.

“Incheon is one of the busiest, operationally advanced, and efficient airports in the region. Placing the passengers at the centre, Incheon Airport has gone the extra mile to fully understand the customer needs.

“Service excellence has always been a hallmark of Incheon Airport, and I’m confident that it will continue to serve as a role model for the airport industry.”

Incheon completed the pilot phase of Level 5 accreditation in July 2022. Through remote and on-site verification, Incheon successfully demonstrated a strong customer-centric culture, uniting the airport community in a human and collaborative approach.

ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, enthused: “We are grateful for Incheon Airport’s participation in the pilot of Level 5 Accreditation in ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation program – which reinforces a passenger-centric culture supported by ACI.

“Congratulations to the whole airport community at Incheon, who collectively demonstrated remarkable engagement, unity, and enthusiasm in improving customer experience.

“The airport’s management should also be commended for leading by example in terms of their level of engagement in and dedication to customer experience from the top.”

The achievement was presented to Incheon Airport during an awards ceremony at the Customer Experience Global Summit in Kraków, Poland, in the presence of airport industry leaders from around the world. The airport was also confirmed the day prior as the next airport host of the Summit, to take place in September 2023.

On the latter news, de Oliveira noted: “It is only fitting that Incheon Airport should host next year’s Customer Experience Global Summit, the premier international event dedicated to airport experience.”

Incheon’s Kim said: “Incheon Airport looks forward to seeing you at the 2023 Customer Experience Global Summit in the Republic of Korea next year. It is an opportunity to experience Incheon Airport for yourself, and a chance for us to share our values and vision with you all.”