Changi Airport?in Singapore has been voted the World’s Best Airport by air travellers for the second year in a row at the 2014 World Airport Awards, held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Barcelona, Spain.
“Winning this prestigious award for the second year in a row, Changi Airport Singapore is showing itself to be much more than an airport,” said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. “Changi Airport offers a travel experience in itself and continues to develop its quality standards to be named the world’s favourite airport again. Changi Airport is a well-known leader and innovator for the airport industry and genuinely delights and surprises travellers who are lucky enough to enjoy the airport facilities. Changi Airport demonstrates how to make the airport experience an enjoyable part of the journey that is so important in today’s fast-moving world.”
Changi Airport enjoyed double success at the Awards, also receiving the award as Best Airport for Leisure Amenities. The vast array of leisure and entertainment facilities are a unique, stand-out feature for Changi Airport, and underline the dedication of this airport to ensure maximum levels of passenger satisfaction.
Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of Changi Airport Group said, “We are honoured to be named Skytrax World Best Airport for the second consecutive year. We appreciate the support given to us by travellers from around the world. This recognition is great motivation for us and spurs us to continue to aim higher. At Changi Airport, we remain steadfast in anticipating the needs of our customers, which is the cornerstone of the Changi Experience. We share this honour with our airport community, for their unyielding commitment to service excellence and with our passengers, for their vote of confidence.”
Abu Dhabi International Airport?was for the third successive year name as the Best Airport in the Middle East. The airport also took home the award for Best Staff Service in the Middle East for the second time, having previously scooped this award in 2011.
“Abu Dhabi International Airport has maintained its position as a premiere airport of the Middle East, which is now one of the most competitive regions in the world for global air travel,” said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax.? “The fact that the airport has managed to build on its previous success by adding the Best Airport Staff in the Middle East to its awards collection demonstrates how much Abu Dhabi Airport has improved its customer experience in the last 3 years.”
Mr Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, expressed his delight at receiving both awards, saying, “To receive two iconic industry awards, both as a result of direct passenger surveys, not only reflects the outstanding service which we provide to passengers, but it also shows our continued commitment to further improvements, having also won both awards last year. The awards are a tribute to the hard work and tenacity of our staff, partners and stakeholders who strive to deliver a high quality passenger experience at all times, and I would like to thank them personally for their efforts. The industry recognition we are receiving bodes well for the future, as our expansion plans gather pace with the Capacity Enhancement Programme and development of the Midfield Terminal Complex, in line with achieving our objective to become one of the world?s leading transportation hubs as part of Abu Dhabi?s Economic Vision 2030.”
London Stansted Airport?was named winner of the award for World’s Best Airport for Low-Cost Airlines. Stansted?s Managing Director, Andrew Harrison, said: “It?s a fantastic achievement and a very proud moment for everyone at Stansted to be voted the world?s best airport for low-cost airlines for the fourth year in a row. The airport has been at the heart of low-cost travel revolution for the last 15 years and this award demonstrates we are still the undisputed world leader at serving this growing and vibrant airline sector. Stansted has returned to growth over the past year as more and more passengers recognise that the airport is the best way to get to and from Europe. The good news for passengers is that Stansted has plenty of room to grow, and with a major investment project underway to transform our terminal, this really is an exciting time for the airport.”
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport?celebrated by winning the Best Regional Airport North America for the 4th year in a row. “The World Airport Awards are another global recognition of something we see every day at CVG ? hard-working professionals coming to work to serve our passengers with high quality customer service and a positive traveling experience,” said Bill Robinson, chairman of the Kenton County Airport Board. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport CEO, Candace McGraw: “Receiving this prestigious recognition four years in a row provides us with a proven track record of excellence.”
London’s Heathrow Airport?was again selected by customers as having the World’s Best Airport Shopping, and doubled up on their success with Terminal 5 being named the World’s Best Airport Terminal. Heathrow Airport Commercial Director, Mr Fidel Lopez said: “We?re delighted to be recognised so consistently for our range of shops and restaurants and for T5. T5has set a fantastic benchmark for us at Heathrow and we are looking forward the opening of T2 in June. I am confident our passengers will enjoy the T2 experience just as much those who travel through T5 today.”
Qatar Airways?was honoured to take home Best Premium Service Facilities, for the fourth consecutive year the Qatar Airways Premium Terminal has taken this prestigious award. The award was accepted on behalf of the airline by Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Marwan Koleilat. Mr. Koleilat, said, “We are very proud to have won this award for the fourth consecutive year. It is a great testament to the hard work and efforts of all Qatar Airways staff striving to go that extra mile to deliver top-notch customer service every day. The travel experience for any passenger starts at the airport, and so our Premium Terminal has proved to be a real winner focusing on satisfying the needs of our passengers by providing them with only the best of airport experiences.”
Vancouver International Airport?was again named the Best airport in North America for the fifth year in a row. YVR finished ninth overall in the world. “To earn a fifth consecutive ranking as the top airport in North America as voted by passengers all over the world is truly a remarkable feat,” said Craig Richmond, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “This award is about more than just YVR’s iconic art and architecture; it encompasses our superior customer care and efficient processes, our shopping and dining options and more. Ultimately, this award is a powerful testament to the commitment of the YVR community – 24,000 strong – to go beyond, every day.”
Hilton Frankfurt Airport?was named the Best Airport Hotel in Europe. Charles Muller, Cluster General Manager for Hilton Frankfurt Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport, said, “Since the opening of the hotel, the entire team truly strive to provide the best stay for our guests. It is our team members? drive and engagement to go the extra mile which allowed us to win this top-spot. We are especially proud since this accolade represents the best direct feedback from travelers originating from almost every country in the world.”
Auckland Airport?was a repeat winner at the 2014 awards, for the 6th year running of the Best Airport in Australia/Pacific region. Mr Adrian Littlewood, Auckland Airport chief executive, said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised on the global stage in Skytrax World Airport Awards for the sixth year in a row as the best airport in Australia Pacific. This award highlights once again the commitment everyone working at the airport has to making journeys better. We are also thrilled to have been awarded the best airport for staff service in Australia Pacific for the third year in a row. The airport really is a collective effort ? from cleaners to Customs, airlines to Aviation Security, border agencies to baggage handlers. Delivering world-class customer service requires everyone to play their part and I would like to personally thank the entire airport community for their tireless dedication to ensuring our passengers have the best possible experience. Being ranked the second best airport in the world for our size and 11th best airport in the world overall ? up from 12th last year ? is also a great honour and we can all be proud of these achievements.”
WORLD AIRPORT AWARDS?
The World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry, voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. The survey and awards process is totally independent and guaranteed free of any airport influence or interference in final results.
The World Airport Awards are based on 12.85 million customer nominations across 110 nationalities of air travellers, and included 410 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service and product – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, through to departure at the gate.