ACI World launches Airport Service Quality barometer First objective global snapshot of airport customer satisfaction

Montreal, 6 April 2018– Airports Council International (ACI) World today launched the first ever Airport Service Quality (ASQ) barometer, the first global snapshot of airport customer experience satisfaction levels, with overall satisfaction scores from a global and regional level.

ACI World will publish quarterly barometer reports which will enable airports around the world to measure up against their competition and gain invaluable insights to inform their approach to the increasingly competitive and crucial area of customer experience.

In 2017, more than half of the world’s 7.1 billion travelers passed through an ASQ airport and this barometer was developed in response to airport demand for greater insight into customer need. As competition in the airport industry grows, continuous service improvement is key for business performance and airports are making the customer experience a high priority.

This barometer provides current data – based on objective measurements derived from the ASQ Departures survey, and the most relevant key performance indicators and categories for customers, including airport access, security, passport control and airport facilities.

Some of the key findings include:

• Overall in 2017, airport customer experience has improved globally from 4.15 to 4.19 (out of a 5 point scale) Security screening has the strongest impact on the overall satisfaction of passengers, and satisfaction in this area has improved overall
• The most satisfied passengers are found in larger airports (>40 M)
• Asia-Pacific’s airports remain at the top of the charts in terms of customer experience satisfaction

“The development of the ASQ barometer was in direct response to members’ feedback that they need to be proactive in measuring their efforts against sound and objective data. Objective measurement and benchmarking are critical in driving performance in any business especially in such a competitive and dynamic industry such as ours,” said Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World. “These quarterly reports will go a long way in helping inform airports and, in turn, encouraging them to strive for continued customer excellence in tangible ways that resonate with their customers.”

ACI World developed passenger personas in 2016, a new approach to passenger profiling, to support airports in developing a deeper understanding of the needs of the traveler. ACI Passenger Personas presents six key personas based on ASQ passenger data gathered from over 550,000 travelers and 300 airports worldwide.

A persona is a semi fictional way to model, summarize and communicate research undertaken on airport passengers. The barometer incorporates each persona profile’s customer satisfaction level. The “sunlounge tourist” remains the largest segment of passenger type in airports (32.3%) while it is no surprise that the “airport enthusiast”, is the ‘most satisfied’ persona at 86.7%.

See the full 2017 global ASQ Barometer infographic.

Notes for editors

1. Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring the global air transport system is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2018, provisional figures show that ACI serves 641 members operating 1,953 airports in 176 countries

2. Data informing the barometer is from the ACI Airport Service Quality Departures Programme 2016-2017, which measures over 300 airports in more than 82 countries.

3. Learn more about the ACI ASQ Programme which includes a full suite of customer experience solutions, including the ACI employee survey for customer experience and the new ASQ arrival surveys.

4. ASQ Departures programme is the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. It measures passengers’ views of 34 key performance indicators, including airport access, check-in, security screening, restrooms, stores, restaurants, additionally capturing passenger comments of their best and worst experience at the airport. Each airport uses the same methodology, creating an industry database that allows airports to benchmark with other airports around the world. The ASQ Programme also has a feature that facilitates sharing of best practices among airport operators. 74% of the world’s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network which delivers 600,000 individual surveys per year in 42 languages in 84 countries. The programme served 343 airports in 2017.

5. In March 2018, ACI World announced the 2017 ASQ Award winners , showcasing the best airports in the world for customer experience.

6. Download the PDF version of this media release.

Media contacts:

Hicham Ayoun
Manager, Communications
ACI World
Telephone: +1 514 373 1223
Email: mediarelations@aci.aero 

Anita Berthier
Manager, External Relations and Special Events
ACI World
Telephone: +1 514 373 1254
Email: mediarelations@aci.aero