PETALING JAYA: The Langkawi International Airport has snagged the 2023 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport of two to five Million Passengers in Asia-Pacific for the third consecutive year.
In a statement from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, the honour announced recently by the Airports Council International (ACI) World has solidified the airport's reputation as a facility that consistently delivers exceptional service to passengers.
"The ASQ programme by ACI establishes the benchmark for global airport customer experience, employing a rigorous methodology that involves on-site surveys with passengers.
"These surveys evaluate satisfaction levels across over 30 performance metrics, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of airport services.
"In 2023, more than 400 airports participated in the programme, collecting nearly 600,000 passenger surveys.
"This demonstrates the programme's credibility and effectiveness in gathering valuable insights and preferences from passengers, ultimately contributing to the continuous improvement of airport services and facilities worldwide," read the statement.
Malaysia Airports’ acting group chief executive officer, Mohamed Rastam Shahrom said: "In earning this prestigious recognition, the Langkawi airport community demonstrates an unwavering commitment to consistently delivering exceptional service standards.
"As Langkawi Island continues to attract global tourists, we are witnessing a resurgence in travel, highlighted by the recent introduction of new airline routes such as flydubai's (FZ) Dubai-Langkawi route.
"It is imperative that we uphold a top-notch passenger experience, not only to leave a positive impression of Malaysia but also contribute to the vision of making Langkawi an unparalleled destination," he said in the statement.
In the same vein, ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira commended the Langkawi team’s success in providing a superior customer experience.
"The global growth of the programme underscores the trust placed in its scientific and live approach, making ASQ the go-to standard for airport customer experience assessment in the aviation industry.
"In an era where passenger expectations are evolving rapidly, excellence in customer service isn't just a goal; it's the key to ensuring airports remain not just gateways, but memorable destinations in themselves," he added.
In February, the Malaysia Airports Group saw local airports recording 7.8 million total passenger movements (international: four million; domestic: 3.8 million), the highest monthly record since the Covid-19 pandemic.
This represented a 95.8% recovery rate compared to the same month in 2019.
According to Malaysia Airports, the high passenger volume was due to the long school and festive holidays, China’s Spring Festival, as well as the entry of new airlines and increased frequencies.
"Total passenger traffic surged by approximately 12% compared to the previous month record of 6.9 million, with domestic traffic experiencing a 20% spike from 3.1 million passengers in January 2024," said Malaysia Airports, which credited local airports for driving the group's performance by contributing 71% of total passenger movements, totalling 11 million passengers," it said.
Elsewhere, passenger traffic movements for the group's asset in Turkiye - the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) - remained robust, with 3.2 million passengers, a 27.4% increase over pre-pandemic levels that represents the highest recovery rate to-date.
"The international sector, serving as the primary growth catalyst, registered 1.7 million passenger movements, while the domestic sector saw 1.5 million passenger movements.
"In a move to bolster connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Turkiye, Batik Air expanded its service offerings with the introduction of four weekly frequencies for the said route.
"This expansion not only enhances the air link between Malaysia and Turkiye, but also establishes SAW’s longest route and first connectivity to the Far East."
