NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged as the best airport in the world according to the latest Airport Service Quality (ASQ) 2017 rankings released by the Airports Council International, helping it overtake Incheon in South Korea which was ranked number one last year. The airport has been ranked number one in the world in the highest category – over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA).
The Delhi airport was ranked number two in the world in the same category last year, however it was the number one ranked airport in the world in 2015 when it was in the smaller category of 25-40 MPPA. The airport also handled over 60 MPPA in 2017 with a total of 63.5 million passengers flying through the airport – surpassing the likes of Changi, Incheon and Bangkok airports in terms of passenger growth.
Officials said this now makes Delhi airport the 7th busiest airport in Asia and puts it among the top 20 busiest airports across the world in terms of passenger traffic.
"It is profoundly gratifying to win this year’s ACI-ASQ award for the coveted World No. 1 rank in the highest category of over 40 million passenger per year. The award demonstrates DIAL’s strong focus on operational efficiencies and resilient approach towards service delivery. Thus, despite phenomenal YOY passenger growth, DIAL once again consolidates its position on the word aviation map,” said I Prabhakara Rao, CEO, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL).
Rao says the initial phase between 2006 to 2010 was the toughest, however tremendous improvement was made at the airport which has seen it jump from 101 in the passenger rankings when the GMR-led consortium took over operations in 2006.
“We have developed rapidly and handled such an increase in the growth of passengers while still providing quality of service and this will not go down, despite expansion work taking place over at terminal-1," Rao added.
ASQ is currently the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. The programme measures passengers’ views of 34 key performance indicators and 74% of the world’s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network. The 34 parameters include key performance indicators like airport access, security screening, check-in facilities, restrooms, stores and restaurants among others. The ASQ awards ceremony will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit from 10-13 September.