Airports Authority of India’s continuous thrust on enhanced passenger convenience and superlative services has been yielding results year after year. In continuation to the glorious tradition of providing excellent services to its customers and passion for providing world-class airports by AAI, Four AAI airports Chandigarh, Mangaluru, Trivandrum and Lucknow are yet again adjudged the best in the world in recently announced ASQ awards for the year 2019. These airports won 10 awards in four categories.
Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey is the world-renowned and internationally established global benchmarking programme measuring passengers’ satisfaction, whilst they travel through an airport, conducted by the Airports Council International (ACI), (a global non-profit organization of Airport Operators). ASQ Awards recognize those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their own passengers.
Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade representative of the world’s airports carries out international bench marking of airports through its participative program known as Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey measuring passengers’’ satisfaction across 34 key performance indicators that includes 8 major categories such as access, check-in, security, airport facilities, food & beverage, retail, airport environment and arrival services.
In the year 2019, ACI-ASQ survey was carried out at around 356 airports across North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. The ASQ survey results are monitored by AERA, NITI Aayog and MoCA.
The ASQ programme provides the research tools and management information to better understand passengers’ views and what they want from an airport’s from the products and services standpoint.
Based on the results of ASQ survey, awards won by AAI airports are detailed below:
- Best Airport by size and Region:
| S.No. | Airport | Category |
| i. | Chandigarh | 2-5 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
| ii. | Mangaluru | |
| iii. | Trivandrum | |
| iv. | Lucknow | 5-15 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
- Best Airport by Environment and Ambience by size:
| S.No. | Airport | Category |
| i. | Chandigarh | 2-5 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
| ii. | Lucknow | 5-15 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
- Best Customer Service by size:
| S.No. | Airport | Category |
| i. | Chandigarh | 2-5 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
| ii. | Lucknow | 5-15 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
- Best Infrastructure and Facilitation by size:
| S.No. | Airport | Category |
| i. | Chandigarh | 2-5 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
| ii. | Lucknow | 5-15 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific Region |
The airports have undertaken various measures over the past year to make travel more convenient and hassle free for the passengers elevating their experience that is at par with the best airport in the world. Some significant steps undertaken by the airports in this direction are given below:
MANGALURU:
- Commissioning of 02 Passenger Building Bridges
- Face -lift works of terminal building completed to improve terminal building ambience.
- Large size FIDS displays installed
- App based CAB Aggregator introduced
- Automatic electronic access control systems, E-Gates for arrival and departure Immigration counters introduced for passenger’s convenience.
- Improved Signage in the terminal building and city side
- Various other for passenger facilities like ATMs, two Concessionaries, 500 New trollies and lounges refurbished.
- Eco-friendly Airport
- Passenger facilities for differently abled people improved by providing tactile flooring ending with ‘MAY I HELP YOU’ desk.
- Different cashless payment options introduced
- Local art works depicting local Culture, Heritage and traditions are being displayed in the various prominent places of the terminal building and also in the city side. The local art works have been appreciated by travelling public.
LUCKNOW:
- Improvement in the wayfinding/Signage at the Airport
- Increase in the seating capacity in the Security Hold Area and other areas
- 300 additional of Passenger Baggage Trolleys provided
- Additional car parking area developed
- Implementation of New Car Parking Policy with provision of free pick & drop facility. It has significantly improved the traffic management & turnaround time of vehicles at the Airport, thereby improving passenger experience in terms of value for money & convenience.
- Construction of an approach road between Terminal-01 & Terminal-02
Wall separating the approach path of T-1 & T-2 was demolished and approach road was constructed for uninterrupted vehicular movement between T-1 & T-2.
- Dedicated seating area for Persons with Reduced Mobility in the arrival & departure area is made available at the airport to promote Accessible India Campaign.
- Allocation of maximum number of flights to the aerobridge.
- Construction of Canopy in front of the Terminal building
- Renovation of washrooms in the airport
- Environment friendly Airport
Lucknow Airport has been declared a plastic free Airport. Also to enhance the greenery at the Airport, new variety of live plants, vertical gardens, ferns etc. have been installed inside the Terminal building, airside & city side of the Airport.
- Ground Transportation to/from the Airport
Ease of availability of rental cars, online cab booking facility, metro rail facility (connected with both the Terminals at the Airport)
- 02 nos. new Golf cart vehicle has been commissioned and being used at the Airport.
- An online portal for Lost & found items has been created, wherein passengers can easily track their lost & found items.
- Sanitary Napkin Incinerators have been installed at the airport for the facilitation of women passengers.
- A two-minute fitness training programme was organised for the female passengers to give them a wow experience on Women’s day. The women passengers were also distributed roses & sweets on the occasion of Women’s day.
- New feedback machines have been installed at the Airport to receive feedback from the passengers and working to improve the facilities for providing better passenger experience thereon.
- New e-gates & digital signage board have been installed at the immigration counters to improve the passenger facilitation.
- New registered X-BIS machines (04) new hand baggage screening machine (04), new handheld metal detectors (21), new CCTV cameras (32) have been installed at the Airport to enhance the efficiency and quality of service provided to the passengers.
TRIVANDRUM:
- Reduction in waiting time at check-in area in Terminal-I due to extension of the area
- Provision of additional passenger entry gate resulted in reduction in waiting time at the personal-ID inspection for entry into the terminal.
- Additional seating capacity in check-in area.
- 1800 new passenger baggage trolleys provided.
- Battery operated Passenger Baggage Trolley Retrieval Tug introduced in Terminal-II.
- Battery operated Passenger buggy introduced.
- Additional Check-in counters provided at Terminal-I with Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE) facility with LED FIDS screens and dynamic display
- 18 counters Immigration counters provided at Terminal-II in departure area and 16 in arrival area.
- Installation of new E-Gates at departure and arrival immigration area of Terminal-II,
- New Passenger boarding bridge commissioned.
- New way finding signage for ease of finding way in Airport premises.
- Branded eateries at both terminals for increase in value of money for Restaurant/eating facilities for passengers and visitors.
- New retail outlets at both terminals increasing the passenger value for money for shopping facilities.
- New Self Check-in Counters in both the Terminal Buildings.
- ‘May I help you’ counters at both the Terminal Buildings for passenger facilitation.
- New Airport Prepaid Taxi Counter opened at Domestic Terminal.
- Business Lounge for the comfort of business class travellers at Terminal-II.
- New shuttle service from both terminals to city and back for ease of mobility for passengers.
CHANDIGARH:
- Dharamshala Bangkok Jaipur Jammu Srinagar Kullu are new routes/ network, commenced, connecting the airport to additional destinations (Both domestic and international)
- Capability enhancement initiatives
Introduction of an exclusive sitting arrangement has been introduced for senior
citizen’s in Arrivals.
Significant increase in the number of trolleys on the entry and exit points of the
airport.
Ladies’ washrooms equipped with Sanitary Vending Machines
Incorporation of Additional Queue Managers to reduce Pax congestion at
Check-in Counters and Boarding Gates.
– Establishment of dedicated information desk at Arrivals Hall to help Transit/Connecting Passengers
– Setting-up of Business Lounge named ”CRAMBAR” in both Domestic and International Security Hold Areas. In addition to it, three Reserved Lounges, two in Domestic and International Security Hold Areas and one is in Arrivals
– Introduction of Help Desk at both Departures & Arrival areas to facilitate the passengers in resolving their day to day problems / complaints / grievances
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