Two Australian airports have been recognised by customers participating in one of the largest global customer satisfaction surveys.
Sydney Airport and Perth Airport have both received awards as part of 2018 Skytrax World Airport Awards in Stockholm.
The awards assess customer service and facilities across 550 airports, and are based on more than 13.7 million survey questionnaires completed by travellers of more than 100 nationalities.
Sydney Airport was voted the top airport in the Australia/Pacific region, while Perth Airport took out the Best Airport Staff Service in Australia/Pacific category.
Sydney Airport CEO, Geoff Culbert, was delighted by the news.
“To receive this level of global recognition makes me proud of the work the team has undertaken to improve the customer experience at Sydney Airport,” Mr Culbert said.
“We’ve made significant improvements to meet the needs of our customers and to be recognised through this award is humbling. It also inspires us to continue to focus on making our customers’ experience easier and more enjoyable as they travel.
“We’ve come a long way, but we still have more to do.
“Over the last 12 months, we’ve implemented a range of measures to build on this experience for our customers; from improving wayfinding using technology and digital channels, to a more contemporary offering of food and beverages concepts, and retail brands in our refurbished terminals.”
In March 2018, Sydney Airport also introduced automated check-in and bag drop zones in parts of the T1 International terminal, reducing the processing time for customers.
Mr Culbert also emphasised the continued role that innovation would play in the ongoing experience of customers at Sydney Airport.
“The implementation of Chinese navigation app Baidu Maps, our partnerships with Google and Apple Maps, and the launch of our WeChat channel and Chinese-language website are all examples of how we’re creating a more meaningful experience for our international visitors.
“This year will also see the introduction of biometrics processing, allowing passengers to check-in and board flights using their face as a boarding pass and passport.”
Skytrax CEO, Edward Plaisted, said, “We congratulate Sydney Airport for their success in winning this important customer satisfaction award for 2018, amidst some serious competition particularly from airports in Australia. It demonstrates how much Sydney Airport continues to improve standards of customer service to be recognised as the Best Airport in the Australia/Pacific region.”
The Skytrax award adds to Sydney Airport’s 2017 Capital City Airport of the Year award from the Australian Airports Association.
Perth Airport CEO, Kevin Brown, said winning the prestigious award is testament to the pride Perth Airport team take in its work.
“In recent years we’ve really changed the way the people of Western Australia think about their airport,” Mr Brown said.
“A big part of that has been the $1 billion worth of new projects which have delivered greater efficiencies for our airline customers and a quality experience for passengers.
“But just as important has been the absolute focus of our team on providing the best service possible every day.
“That shows through in the independent Airport Service Quality ratings which now consistently have us ranked near the top of our Australasian peer group.
“And Perth Airport has now received five major national or international awards in the past 18 months.
“This latest award is a huge credit to our team members and our airport partners in areas like security, government agencies, cleaning, and retail and hospitality – not to mention our amazing Gold Coat Ambassadors.”
Mr Brown said the latest award underlined the importance of investing in building an even better airport.
“The $1 billion investment in the first wave of our redevelopment laid the foundation for the huge improvements in our airline and passenger satisfaction,” Mr Brown said.
“We’re now planning to invest a further $2.5 billion in a new runway, a major expansion of the international terminal, and the move of Qantas to the Central Airport Precinct.
“The Skytrax award shows the value of making these investments and will give our airline partners, travellers and the general public even greater confidence in our plans.
“We’re excited about the future of Perth Airport as Australia’s Western Hub and we think the community is starting to share that excitement too.”
