Airports Council International (ACI) World, in partnership with travel technology company Amadeus, has today (11 March) announced the best airports for customer experience worldwide – as chosen by passengers – through the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2023.

A total of 170 ASQ Awards have been won by 90 airports around the world, from 595,000 surveys collected in 2023.

Highlights of the results are nine airports across all regions winning ASQ Awards in all five departure categories (Best Airports by Size and Region, Most Dedicated Staff, Easiest Airport Journey, Most Enjoyable Airport and Cleanest Airport), effectively maximising a pleasant experience at every stage of the airport journey. These are:

Africa: Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport

Asia-Pacific: Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport; Yogyakarta International Airport

Europe: Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport; Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino

Latin America: Guayaquil International Airport

Middle East: Salalah Airport

North America: Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport; Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Furthermore, eight airports are inducted into the ACI World Director General’s Roll of Excellence – a recognition given to airports that have won multiple ASQ awards over a five-year period in the last 10 years.

Those earning this status are: Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport; Chandigarh Airport; Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport; Muscat International Airport; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport; Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport; and Zagreb International Airport.

“We are delighted that in 2023 the ASQ programme surpassed 400 participating airports in a historical record – reflecting our members’ commitment to placing the passenger first,” said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira.

“Likewise, we thank the guests that dedicated their precious time by providing feedback in close to 600,000 surveys.

“The global growth of the programme underscores the trust placed in its scientific and live approach, making ASQ the go-to standard for airport customer experience assessment in the aviation industry.

“The future success of airports hinges on the unwavering commitment to delivering a stellar customer experience at every touchpoint.

“In an era where passenger expectations are evolving rapidly, excellence in customer service isn’t just a goal; it’s the key to ensuring airports remain not just gateways, but memorable destinations in themselves.”

ASQ’s approach is anchored in live research conducted through surveys administered directly to travellers at the airport, capturing their satisfaction levels on the day of travel.

The ASQ surveys cover over 30 performance indicators across key elements of the passenger’s airport experience, to offer a complete picture of the passenger experience journey.

In 2023, over half of the world’s travellers passed through an ASQ airport.

“It’s encouraging to see continued commitment to customer experience at airports across the world demonstrated again by the ASQ Awards,” commented Amadeus EVP Airport & Airline Operations Rudy Daniello.

“Over the past few years many airports have applied technologies like self-service and biometrics to improve the experience for passengers across key airport touchpoints.

“What we’re seeing now is a desire to move to the next level by working more collaboratively with airlines and other partners to better manage the impact of disruption.

“The management of disruptions is a defining issue for passengers, so we look forward to working closely with the industry as it develops new approaches that deliver improved outcomes for passengers.”

ACI World and Amadeus will celebrate the 2023 ASQ Awards winners and the ACI World Director General’s Roll of Excellence inductees at the ASQ Awards Gala Dinner during the 2024 ACI World Customer Experience Summit and Exhibition, from 23-26 September in Atlanta, US.

The full list of winning airports can be viewed on the ACI World website.

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