London’s Heathrow has added another feather to its cap, having being named “Best Airport” at the prestigious Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) awards.

The “Best Airport - Over 25 Million Passengers” accolade acknowledges the dedication of Heathrow’s frontline staff in giving passengers excellent service and the transformation of the airport following the completion of an £11-billion ($17.3-billion) investment programme. 

The UK airport beat other European hubs in Amsterdam and Paris to the title. It comes after a double record-breaking year for the airport with 73.4 million passengers passing through and the achievement of its highest ever passenger satisfaction scores.

Recognising Heathrow’s commitment to environmental responsibility, the airport was also handed the Eco- Innovation Award. Through a range of measures that include the world’s largest single site car-share scheme and improvements to public transport provision, Heathrow has reduced air pollution by 16 per cent over 5 years.

John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport, said: “I am immensely proud to receive these awards on behalf of all the people who work every day to make Heathrow better for its passengers.

“Heathrow plays a hugely important role both as the front door to the UK and also by connecting British people, exporters and exports to markets across the globe. Our efforts to make this one of the best airports in the world have been recognised and we now need permission to expand Heathrow to take our country even further.”

The ACI Europe awards cover four categories of airports and aim to recognise achievement in core activities such as customer service, facilities, retail, security, community relations and environmental awareness and operations.

The other awards fell under the ‘under 5 million’, ‘5-10 million’ and ‘10-25 million categories.

There was also a separate award devoted specifically to airports’ environmental efforts. 

The awards were presented at a gala dinner in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on June 25, and was one of the highlights of the 25th ACI Europe General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition, hosted by Prague Airport over three days (June 24 to 26). 

The ACI event was attended by more than 350 industry representatives, including CEOs from major airports, airlines, air traffic management, national governments and the EU institutions. The theme of this year’s event was Airports and the Future of Tourism. 

ACI Europe is the European arm of Airports Council International (ACI), the only worldwide professional association of airport operators which represents over 450 airports in 46 European countries.