Abuja Airport named best airport in Africa for customer experience

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja has been awarded the Airport Services Quality Award 2020  as judged by their customers as the Best Airport by Size and Region (five million to 15 million passengers per year in Africa). This is coming barely two weeks after receipt of the accreditation of the Airport Council International (ACI) health accreditation certificate to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Port-Harcourt International Airport, the Abuja airport has again been given recognition for its quality service.

This time, it is for providing a superior customer experience despite the difficult circumstances occasioned by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A letter  from the office of the Director-General of ACI, dated Feb. 15, 2021, and directed to Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that the airport was bestowed with the award based on the recommendations by users of the facilities, especially the passengers. “During this most difficult and challenging of years, your customers have spoken and recognised the successful efforts of your team in providing a superior customer experience under trying circumstances.”

ACI also said that Amadeus, the global travel technology company, which it recently renewed its partnership with would deliver the ASQ Awards to the agency. It said that Amadeus supports airports in improving travel experiences for passengers all over the world and its continuing strategic partnership came at a time when it had never been more important for airports to listen to the voice of customers.

A spokeswoman for FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said the award represents the FAAN’s commitment to continuously improving customer experience across all our airports. “The recognition comes at a time when we are geared towards ensuring seamless airport facilitation with the opening of new terminals and upgrading of our current infrastructures across the board. Despite a turbulent year plagued by COVID-19 induced financial struggles, the authority has endeavored to prioritize customer satisfaction while ensuring that health and safety remain topmost. FAAN MD/CEO Captain Rabiu Yadudu accepted the award on behalf of the Authority and restated FAAN’s commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and comfort of passengers at all airports across the country,” she added.

It would be recalled that in the penultimate week, the Abuja, Port-Harcourt, and Lagos airports were accredited by ACI on its health accredited programme, after it said the airports satisfied the safe airport environment requirements as set by ACI. This, it said, was in line with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations along with industry best practices.

“The Abuja Airport is judged by their customers as the Best Airport by Size and Region (5 to 15 million passengers per year in Africa)”. Yakubu also described the feat as huge and underscored the organisation’s relentlessness amid the difficult year occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic which led to financial struggle by the authority.