Airports Council International (ACI) World has announced a new level in its Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme and revealed the first airport to reach it: Incheon Airport, South Korea.

Since ACI launched the world’s first Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme in 2019, 45 airports around the world joined the programme to improve their customer experience management. Improving and adapting the airport customer experience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has never been more important as the industry prepares for a recovery in passenger traffic.

Incheon – one of a few Level 3-accredited airports in 2020, joined the piloting phase of Level 4 accreditation to contribute to its development. Accreditation included site verification, which starts from Level 4 – this was conducted virtually due to the constraints of the pandemic, and they are now recognized as the first Level 4 accredited airport in the world.

“Incheon already has a strong record in customer experience management, and we were grateful for their participation in the pilot of Level 4 of the Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “As the aviation industry continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares to support a sustained recovery, meeting the changing needs and expectations of customers will be ever more important, and we congratulate Incheon on being the first airport in the world to achieve this level of accreditation.”

Incheon Airport President & CEO Mr. Kyung Wook KIM said: “We are proud to be recognized as the first Level 4 accredited airport in the world, and it is our honour to participate and contribute to the development of the Level 4 – Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme. The programme provides a true 360° view of airport customer experience management. Incheon will continue to improve its best-in-class customer experience by providing a new and pleasant experience to customers and by adopting advanced technologies in all areas of airport operations based on innovative thinking.”

The accreditation programme, which offers a common definition and framework for customer experience management, helps airports to assess and improve their approach to customer experience management and identify new practices that can be developed in the short- and long-term to progress through the levels of accreditation. Accreditation at each level also serves as a powerful marketing tool for airports to show their commitment to improving customer experience.

The programme is designed with five levels of accreditation and the pilot phase of the final level – Level 5 – is expected in 2022.

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