Aberdeen named most improved airport in the world

Aberdeen Airport is celebrating after beating world-wide competition to win a prestigious award for outstanding customer satisfaction. The North East’s biggest transport gateway has picked up the ACI Airport Service Quality’s ‘Best Improvement Award’.

The title goes to the airport which has experienced the biggest improvement in overall customer satisfaction results between 2006 and 2007. The awards are based on annual results of overall satisfaction of international passengers.

Aberdeen Airport won the accolade ahead of the likes of Singapore, Houston George Bush, Hong Kong, Ottawa and Munich Airports.

The official awards ceremony will be held in Shanghai in April.

Airport Managing Director Kevin Brown said: “This is a huge honour and one that the whole of the North East can be proud of. Our airport has been picked out from an amazing line-up of fantastic airports worldwide, and recognised for making major improvements to the quality of customer service and facilities offered to the 3.4 million people travelling with us annually.

“We have listened to our passengers, our business and airline partners and we have invested millions to bring the airport up to the high standards our customers rightly expect and deserve.

“Much work is still to be done but I’m particularly pleased and honoured to see our efforts have clearly been recognised and appreciated by those flying to and from Aberdeen Airport.

“We are committed to putting Aberdeen on the global map, to enhancing our services and to ensuring our teams offer the very best customer service. Winning this award means so much to all of us at Aberdeen Airport, and it’s another opportunity for the City and Shire to show we can compete with the best the rest of the world has to offer.”

As at most airports, an independent company carries out customer satisfaction questionnaires at Aberdeen, whereby passengers rate the airport’s staff and facilities. Members of the public are asked to score everything from toilet cleanliness and availability of seating to food standards and car parking.

Aberdeen’s scores saw a much higher increase between 2006 and 2007 than at any other airport in the world which carries out the same form of monitoring.

Major investments during 2006-2007 included a £10 million refurbishment of the Departure Lounge which doubled in size, provided additional retailers and seating. The project was also specifically designed to ensure the Lounge’s ‘carbon footprint’ did not increase, despite the expansion.

Among the other projects carried out, the size of the Security Search Area was increased by 50%, providing more space for passengers preparing for the screening process. A third x-ray machine was also introduced increasing capacity by 50% and reducing queue times.

The airport's Customer Services Director, Will Dougherty said: "Winning such a prestigious award - and one that's recognised throughout the world - is a major honour for everyone connected with Aberdeen Airport. We pride ourselves in constantly striving to offer our customers and passengers the very best possible service and we will continue to do so. We have risen to the challenge of competing with the biggest airports in the world and we are committed to meeting and exceeding that challenge now and in the future."

Dr Peter Smart, Chairman of the Airport Consultative Committee, says: “This award is a real credit to the management and everyone who works at the airport.

“Over the past couple of years, a great deal of money has been spent on improving the passenger experience at the airport and more is yet to come. But it is the quality of service from the people employed there that really helps change an organisation from 'good' to 'great'.

“My committee is particularly pleased that the airport has received this prestigious global award, and I know that passengers will see yet more improvements in the near future.”

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Notes to the Editor:

It is a double celebration for BAA, after the ACI awards also recognised Southampton Airport in the Airport People Awards Europe category. The award recognises those airports which have cultivated a strong customer service culture among the airport community and have been rated by passengers as having the most courteous and helpful airport, airline and security staff.