Indy International Airport named best in North America

The Indianapolis International Airport was named North America’s best airport in 2012 by Airports Council International.

ACI’s Airport Service Quality awards were determined by passenger satisfaction surveys conducted at more than 275 airports worldwide.

In North America, 32 airports participated in the ASQ surveys.

The top three airports were announced in the following categories: best airport by region, best airport by size, best small airport and best improvement.

The Ottawa Airport in Ottawa, Canada, and the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., were ranked second and third in North America, respectively.

Popularly traveled airports such as the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago did not participate in the survey.

The ASQ awards program identifies the most passenger-friendly airports throughout the world.

ASQ surveys are based on interviews with passengers in gate areas on the days they travel.

Airports are selected for audits to ensure compliance and to validate the results of the surveys, according to the ACI website.

The Indianapolis International Airport was also ranked the best airport in North America in 2010 and second-best in 2011.

“Being the best airport in North America wouldn’t be possible without world-class employees,” Robert Duncan, executive director for the Indianapolis Airport Authority, said in a press release. “I am proud of their dedication and I especially thank our front-line staff who greet our guests and keep our facilities clean, safe and operational around the clock.”

Carlo Bertolini, director of marketing and public relations for the IAA, said the staff goes out of their way when performing job duties.

“The areas that are within our control that continue to drive overall satisfaction are cleanliness and attitude and courtesy of our staff,” Bertolini said.

Bertolini said the airport is often the first place people see when they come to Indianapolis.

“We always hear people passing through say it’s one of the best airports they’ve ever seen,” he said.

Bertolini said the airport benefits from having a new terminal, which opened in 2008.
He also said the airport is one of the few airports built with the post 9/11 security environment in mind.

“We have a much more passenger-friendly experience in one of the passenger’s least favorite parts of the process, which is the security screening,” Bertolini said.

For example, the airport has extra room for screening checkpoints and areas for passengers to pack up their belongings, Bertolini said.

Bertolini also said he hopes the award reflects on the whole state in terms of hospitality.

“It’s definitely a benefit internally not for only our staff, but for TSA and airline employees,” he said. “It’s always rewarding when you see your employees recognized in a very public way.”