MIA is best airport, again
Malta Airport has been ranked as the top airport in Europe across all categories for 2011 in the annual ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) passenger survey. This follows a similar ranking achieved in 2010.
The result was announced this morning by Airports Council International.
Malta Airport CEO Markus Klaushofer said that this consecutive first placing confirmed that Malta Airport's continuous efforts and investment to increase and sustain its service quality levels had once again been recognised by the passengers themselves.
"This prestigious placing in the world's leading Airport Passenger Survey is a sign that our airport is on the quality map that counts. When your end users give you this type of certificate, it gives you confidence and energy to know that all the hard work is reaping results and that we're on the right track," added Mr Klaushofer.
The fact that Malta Airport has won the award two years in a row made it all the more very special, at a time when the airport is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of its Air Terminal.
He concluded by stating that these achievements were due to the commitment of all Malta Airport employees as well as to the hard work of all other stakeholders and clients present at the airport.
The survey looked at 200 airports worldwide and interviewed 350,000 passengers.
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22 Comments
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Cecil Herbert Jones
Feb 16th, 07:19
It doesn't matter if its true or not, a compliment is a compliment. Appreciate it while it lasts!
Joe Fenech
Feb 15th, 08:38
Well, let's face it, this is a micro airport. I would love to see the Maltese running Frankfurt, Heathrow or Orly!
Carmel Grech
Feb 15th, 19:01
Why don't YOU give it a try Mr Fenech?
Malta Warrior
Feb 14th, 16:46
@ Jimmy Magro
isn't there anything positive you people could say?
unloading of luggage is not MIA but the groundhandlers...
as for free wi-fi... MIA is one of the few airports which has free Wi-fi across the whole terminal...
so before shooting from the hip, just get your facts right...
Jimmy Magro
Feb 14th, 20:44
What a coincidence!!
On this article the two final comments came from non-existent persons who are PN elves.
As for warrior, it seems that you are a warrior against freedom of speech. What I wrote is to make things better and even MIA will be thankful to those that make suggestions for better service.
After all, MIA is owned by foreign interests that should have brought some radical changes in airport management. The only thing I have seen to change is the massive billboards set up for advertising revenue. But there has been no investment in information technology and customer comfort.
The shareholders seems to be only interested in making their share price go up, like any other capitalist company.
MIA has no competition since MIA is the single airport in Malta. No wonder that the Government did not acept the request by Ryanair to set up their own airport in Malta.
I am very objective and I hope those that would like to defend the national interest would write under their real name and not under the elve brand name.
Pippo DeMarco
Feb 14th, 15:28
I know that some people would prefer us to win the Eurovision Song Contest than have the best airport in Europe, but then some people never seem to see the good things under their noses.
Malta can be justly proud of (double) award-winning MIA. - Many congratulations to everyone concerned.
Peter Murray
Feb 14th, 19:05
Malta would be more proud of the airport if it actually belonged to Malta and wasn't given away on a wing and a prayer for a mere song-sorry about the poor puns but the not the rest!
Jimmy Magro
Feb 14th, 14:57
There are four negatives at MIA:
1. one is the area used for the outgoing security check is not fit purpose;
2. the unloading of luggage is extremely slow and I am quite certain that the process can go faster unless they expect all the passengers to read all the advertising billboards in the luggage collection hall
3. airports should begin to provide free wifi especially in Malta where the outgoing taxes comes to around 30 to 70 % of the cost of the ticket.
4. there should be more space for cars paked temporalily for the embarking and disembarking of passengers
Karl Consiglio
Feb 14th, 13:35
Ok, bhala service maybe, imma bhala architecture definately not as nice as say the one in Barcelona.
Evarist Saliba
Feb 14th, 18:23
Dejjem tfittex ix-xaghra fil-ghagina.
I presume that if someone were to propose updating MIA's architecture to the level of the much newer Barcelona one, there would be a hue and cry that we are wasting money.
I would not be surprised if you were to lead the hue and cry.
vincent a galea
Feb 14th, 12:51
Congratulations MIA... well done... And our Airport is really up to scratch and very well kept...
But I am very sorry something has to be done about luggage delivery from airside! Last Sunday I had reasons to meet 4 aircraft, all arriving from Germany: All practically earlier than the STA...One landed on its own at around 1352, all without any passport controls, all not packed flights... it took between 30 to 40 minutes for the passengers to appear in the arrivals hall... I can only blame the late delivery of luggage...
Pity... otherwise I agree, superb airport.....
vincent a galea
Feb 14th, 12:50
Congratulations MIA... well done... And our Airport is really up to scratch and very well kept...
But I am very sorry something has to be done about luggage delivery from airside! Last Sunday I had reasons to meet 4 aircraft, all arriving from Germany: All practically earlier than the STA...One landed on its own at around 1352, all without any passport controls, all not packed flights... it took between 30 to 40 minutes for the passengers to appear in the arrivals hall... I can only blame the late delivery of luggage...
Pity... otherwise I agree, superb airport.....
Andreas Moser
Feb 14th, 12:12
I like MIA because it's small, swift and staff are friendly.
john gittos
Feb 14th, 11:13
Firstly I would not read too much into this because it depends from where these findings come from other organisation who do such surveys , airlines , tourists boards and so on and each one of them name another different airport as being the best , so you pay your money and take your choice .You cannot compare airports like Malta with Heathrow or Charles de Gaulle, completley ridiculous, the technology at terminal five alone is world class and is being followed by other airports . Passenger figures for Heathrow 64 million last year(busiest in the world ) ,Malta airport just over two and a half million you cannot compare the two on that alone , when I have travelled through Malta which I have on many occasions it has not left me thinking that was a great experience or a bad one for that matter .For appearance the new airport at Alicante is miles a head of Malta its state of the art what else would you expect its new , look at the depature and arrival boards in some airports compare them to MIA , no comparison what so ever ,and these surveys do not compare like for like .
Angus Black
Feb 14th, 15:55
John Gittos, the survey is not aimed at comparing volumes otherwise, Heathrow would consistently be number one, or close. The report states that 350,000 commuters were surveyed, hardly a small number which can be dismissed.
I for one has avoided Heathrow for years because of its size, inconvenience and often snobbish service. The transfers between Terminals within the same complex is tiring, inconvenient and downright annoying. Malta has a modern facility, clean and coming or going, is fast and hassle free. Baggage retrieval can be improved and speeded up but the overall experience is a pleasure, the staff is courteous and the ambiance is cordial.
MIA deserves the second successive honour. Well done MIA.
Peter Murray
Feb 14th, 19:09
350,000 respondents out of all the airports and passengers using such in the world is indeed a miniscule number less than one percent (1%) of air passengers and airport users in fact -so it can be dismissed as irrelevant and massively disproportionate and therefore not truly an accurate reflection.
Christian Sciberras
Feb 14th, 10:36
Well deserved!
MIA is doing one hell of a job while the rest of the service in Malta slack off.
Charles Micallef
Feb 14th, 10:32
Well done MIA, it is a very pleasant airport to come home to!
Mr Edwin Vella
Feb 14th, 10:25
I would agree with such statments when I see one billboard at MIA promoting our one and only Olympic Athlete Willliam Chetcuti when within 160 days he will be representing Malta at LONDON 2012 on the 2nd of August. Other countries are all promoting their athletes at their National Airports including Sweden where one can see Billboards of Hakan Dahlby which will be competing against William Chetcuti.
Peter Murray
Feb 14th, 10:03
Nice accolade but how credible is it ?Why not include the service providers in such surveys ,i,e the airlines using the airport and also include costs(fees, tariffs charged) considerations.Finally 350,000 passenger opinions is merely a snowflake in a blizzard figure for this is not a remotely proportionate figure of true passenger numbers when compared to total number of airport users throughout Europe in any given year which runs into hundreds of millions.
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 14th, 10:30
For appearance at least I rate MIA far above Manchester or Liverpool, which I use on a frequent basis. As for Heathrow, forget it.
The first impression one gets on entering an airport is vital and especially from the Malta side (i.e. Departures)MIA is tops.
JR Apap
Feb 14th, 09:59
Who said... the maltese or europe as a whole