MLA wins 'Best Airport' for 3rd consecutive year!

Malta International Airport is among the winners of Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards for 2020, claiming the title ‘Best Airport in Europe’ in its size category for the third consecutive year.

Airports Council International on Monday announced the winners of these prestigious industry awards following the rating of 348 airports worldwide by 306,673 passengers throughout 2020 bar the second quarter. A total of 1,044 departing passengers rated Malta Airport based on 34 key performance indicators related to the service provided and facilities offered.

Malta International Airport registered an improvement on most indicators compared to 2019, earning top scores from its guests for ease of way finding (4.50), cleanliness (4.49), staff courtesy (4.45), and safety and security (4.40). The airport ended the year with an all-time high overall satisfaction score of 4.46, surpassing the European average which stood at 4.28.

An analysis of the feedback received revealed that, while waiting time ranked first among customers’ top priorities prior to Covid-19, following the outbreak of the pandemic, cleanliness topped guests’ priority list, clearly indicating a shift in passengers’ expectations of their airport experience.

“Having worked at Malta Airport for almost three decades, seeing our bustling airport fall quiet in a matter of days was very discouraging. Despite the challenges and many changes, all airport stakeholders stepped up their efforts to provide an excellent service, going the extra mile to re-shape the airport journey, learn new skills, and implement measures aimed at putting guests at ease. Receiving an award based on guest feedback, at a time when consumer confidence in the travel industry is very low, is the ultimate reward for our hard work throughout 2020.

On behalf of the entire airport team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our guests for their vote of confidence and our stakeholders for their unwavering support,” said Senior Customer Services Officer, Marcon Hili.

Throughout 2020, the Company introduced new initiatives, including a series of focus groups, aimed at continuing to evolve the passenger experience through Malta International Airport especially once traffic picks up. Additionally, employee training during the year was largely geared at equipping team members, notably front-liners, with new skills to be able to cater to travellers’ emerging needs.