Malta International Airport wins 'Best Airport in Europe' award

Malta International Airport (MIA) was last week awarded awarded the Best Airport in Europe award in its size category by the Airport Council International's Airport Service Quality awards (ASQ).

346 airports worldwide were ranked by more than 650,000 departing passengers over the course of 2018. The aim of the ASQ awards is to recognise airports that go the extra mile to provide their guests with excellent service and equally outstanding terminal facilities.

In both 2016 and 2017, MIA had placed third and second respectively. However, an all-time high passenger satisfaction score for 2018 pushed the airport to the top of a group of 35 other airports each hosting between five and 15 million passengers annually.

“At a time when the customer experience is becoming an increasingly important aspect of what a business has to offer, it is extremely rewarding to see that our passengers have once again expressed their satisfaction with the service delivered as they travelled through our airport, leading us to win the coveted Best Airport in Europe award,” said Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg.

Borg thanked the team of around 3,000 employees, as well as the various stakeholders working on the airport campus. He highlighted the importance of aligning the company’s everyday efforts to it’s value of service excellence to shape airport journeys that exceeded passengers’ expectations, even on the airport’s busiest days.

MIA currently stands at a 4.37 in overall passenger satisfaction, during its peak season, stretching from July until September 2018. The airport scored higher than the European average of 3.98.

MIA also achieved high passengers scores on indicators including courtesy of airport staff, terminal cleanliness, and its La Valette lounges.

The best airport in Europe award was also won by seven other airports in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Russia, and Iceland.

Airport Council International is the only worldwide programme that survey’s passengers at the airport on the day of their travels. The Programme measures passengers’ views of 34 performance indicators including airport access, check-in, security screening, stories and reassurances.

“The Airport Service Quality Awards celebrate the achievements of airports in delivering the best customer experience and represent the highest possible accolade for airport operators. These airports have responded to the evolving needs of passengers to deliver higher levels of service and award-winning performance,” said Airports Council International World Director Angela Gittens.