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• Additionally it was placed sixth on a global scale in the category of 5 to 10 million passengers per year.
• It received four stars for the high standards of quality offered to its users and passengers.
• It also obtained prominent positions in several other categories.

Quito, 18 March 2016. Mariscal Sucre International Airport has been declared as the Best Regional Airport in South America in 2016 by Skytrax at the World Airports Awards 2016, at a ceremony held in Cologne, Germany on 16 March 2016.

The Skytrax World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry voted by passengers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. The awards are based on 13.25 million survey questionnaires completed by 106 different nationalities of airline customers during the survey period. The survey operated from June 2015 to February 2016, covering 550 airports worldwide and evaluating traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators – from check-in, arrivals, shopping and security to immigration. The Skytrax World Airport Awards are a global benchmark of airport excellence.

The Best Regional Airport category includes airports that do not function as a hub, as is the case of Mariscal Sucre Airport.

In addition, Quito´s airport is placed 62nd in the global ranking of airports published by the organization; sixth in the category for Best Airports: 5-10 million passengers per year; seventh among the Most Improved Airports, and third in the Best Airport Staff in South America category.

A four star airport

A team of auditors from Skytrax visited the airport in November 2015 to evaluate all services at the air terminal geared towards the passenger experience including signage, flight information, transport, parking, cleanliness, seating, lighting, digital information channels, baggage area, boarding gates, bathroom availability, airline check-in area, commercial offering and VIP lounges.

As a result of the audit, Mariscal Sucre Airport obtained a four star rating on a five-star scale. Skytrax awards the four star rating to airports that deliver a service with high standards of quality to its users and passengers.

The report prepared by Skytrax highlights areas such as parking services, availability of seating in departure lounges and public halls, banking and currency exchange facilities, flight information, check in and commercial offering. But areas that clearly stand out are the cleanliness of the terminal, free Wi-Fi service and comfort of the Domestic and International VIP Lounges.

It is worth noting that Quito Airport and El Dorado Airport in Bogota are the only airports in the Latin America and Caribbean region to have obtained the four star rating. This recognition places us in the same category as important airports such as London Heathrow Airport, San Francisco Airport in the USA, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Shanghai International Airport in China, among others.

The industry rewards high quality services

“This is a double honour (Best Regional Airport in South America and a four star rating) that fills us with pride. The results of our focus on passenger service are clear. Travellers who pass through Quito Airport appreciate the quality of service that they receive and this is recognised by the key players in the air transport industry”, stated Andrew O’Brian, President and Director General of Corporación Quiport, the airport concessionaire.

In effect, Mariscal Sucre Airport has been rewarded by both the passengers and the industry, demonstrating a consistently high level of service. What is the ideal formula? Andrew O´Brian explains that in addition to the view of service coming from the management of the company, it is essential to have a qualified, professional, very motivated and committed team.

“We have new, modern and comfortable infrastructure, but today´s traveller expects much more. Air terminals are no longer just buildings and waiting rooms; they are centres that bring together countless services geared towards improving the passenger experience. Our work consists of identifying what services are needed and valued by our passengers”, O´Brian explains.

“We are focused on constantly looking for opportunities for improvement. We are aware that things are not perfect and can humbly admit to our mistakes. It is the only way that we can improve our standards of service in a sustained manner”, he notes, before leaving a final message. “These awards are not an end; they are the beginning of great days for the airport service of Quito and Ecuador”.