What makes the world’s top airports stand out? Beyond infrastructure and amenities, airports that lead in Airport Service Quality (ASQ) scores share one common trait—exceptional, strategic customer experience (CX) management. In this blog, our CX experts explore how airports accredited through the ACI Airport Customer Experience (CX) Accreditation program are redefining service excellence, boosting passenger satisfaction, and winning international recognition.
What separates a good airport from a great one?
A great airport has intention behind every passenger touchpoint. The world’s best airports aren’t leaving customer experience a chance. They’re managing it strategically, deliberately, and with impressive results.
Across continents, leading airports are embracing CX as a lever for operational excellence and competitive edge. Through the ACI Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, they are aligning vision with action and building a culture where experience is a mindset.
How CX Accreditation correlates with higher ASQ scores?
The ACI Airport Customer Experience Accreditation program is far more than a simple checklist. It’s a comprehensive strategic framework that supports airports at every stage of customer experience maturity. By aligning CX efforts across strategy, organizational culture, employee engagement, and stakeholder collaboration, it helps airports deliver consistently high-quality experiences that drive loyalty and performance.
Importantly, the impact is measurable. Between 2023 and 2024, airports accredited at Levels 2 to 5 saw a two-fold increase in overall passenger satisfaction scores compared to non-accredited airports clearly demonstrating the value of structured CX management in boosting ASQ scores.
What’s more striking, there is a clear correlation between accreditation level and likelihood of winning an ASQ Award, with 100% of airports accredited at Level 5 winning ASQ Awards:
This proves what accredited airports already know: that the ACI’s Customer Experience Accreditation works through structured CX management.
Six examples of bold leadership in action
Six years since its launch, close to 150 airports are accredited, and six have reached Level 5, the highest standard of CX maturity. Let’s explore how these airports redefined excellence through bold initiatives and unwavering commitment to passengers:
Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Türkiye
In a complex stakeholder environment, IGA Istanbul has achieved something remarkable: a unified customer experience vision brought to life through a formalized, cross-functional Customer Experience Committee. Guided by a bold CX strategy and a shared commitment to Turkish hospitality, IST ensures alignment across its entire airport community.
Istanbul Airport is especially recognized for inclusive approach to passenger experience, with standout initiatives such as sensory-friendly spaces, accessible wayfinding, and comprehensive mobility support services. Backed by engaged leadership and an innovative and passionate CX team, IST consistently translates cultural values into measurable, award-winning service excellence for all travelers.
Incheon International Airport, Incheon, Republic of Korea
Incheon Airport has taken CX analytics to new heights. This Airport exemplifies data-driven leadership and collaborative innovation. With advanced customer research and predictive modeling, ICN identifies key drivers of satisfaction, linking CX insights directly to commercial performance.
The airport’s executives actively participate in terminal walkthroughs and co-creation sessions, creating a strong culture of visibility and accountability. Incheon’s ability to fuse analytical precision with frontline engagement reflects a mature CX mindset that keeps the passenger at the heart of every decision.
Quito International Airport, Quito, Ecuador
Quito International Airport has elevated its customer experience by putting employees and partners at the center of transformation. Through journey mapping, personas, and targeted recognition programs, the airport cultivates a values-based service culture across the wider airport community.
CX practices are strengthened by stakeholder engagement in co-creation sessions and collaborative problem-solving, ensuring solutions reflect the needs of both travelers and teams. UIO’s success stems from a belief that when people thrive, service follows, and that belief is backed by structure, training, and follow-through.
These six Level 5 Accredited airports will be recognized on stage alongside other newly accredited airports and ASQ Award winners in a celebration of excellence Gala during the ACI Airport Experience Summit 2025, taking place September 8–11 in Guangzhou, China.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, India
At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, customer experience is woven into the fabric of strategic and operational performance. Two of the airport’s six top-level objectives focus directly on CX, including ASQ score improvement and CXA Level 5 achievement, both cascaded across departments and staff through SMART goals.
Leadership ensures CX is a shared responsibility at every level, with achievements celebrated across the airport community. The airport’s approach to performance management has not only elevated satisfaction but also empowered teams to deliver consistently outstanding service across the journey
Bahrain International Airport, Manama, Bahrain
Bahrain International Airport made CX everyone’s business. Showcasing a powerful model of strategic alignment and operational intelligence, CX KPIs are embedded in performance reviews across the airport ecosystem, from front-line teams to senior leadership.
By linking satisfaction data to revenue trends, BAH ensures CX is not just an aspiration, but a driver of business outcomes. The airport’s emphasis on transparency, data sharing, and cross-functional accountability reinforces a strong service culture that continuously adapts to meet evolving passenger expectations.
Juan Santamaría International Airport, San Jose, Costa Rica
San Jose Airport offers a shining example of community-wide collaboration in CX excellence. Its impactful co-creation programs are structured, inclusive, and action-oriented, when passengers, airport staff, and stakeholders like immigration, retail, and security come together in journey mapping, role-swapping, and prototyping exercises that lead to tangible improvements in services, infrastructure, and accessibility.
Whether through data analysis, leadership engagement, or employee-driven innovation, SJO’s success lies in turning participation into progress and vision into impact.
Join us at the Airport Experience Summit
Register now to attend the ACI Airport Experience Summit 2025 and learn how top airports are achieving record ASQ scores through CX excellence.
Join us to:
- Hear practical insights from CX leaders and airport CEOs
- Network with the world’s most customer-centric airports
- Attend hands-on workshops on service design and employee experience
What is the ACI CX Accreditation?
The ACI Airport Customer Experience (CX) Accreditation is the only global program dedicated to elevating customer experience management in the airport industry. It helps airports build long-term capacity through a structured, 360˚ framework that includes staff training, stakeholder engagement, and service culture alignment.
How can airports improve their ASQ score?
Airports can boost their ASQ scores by implementing a strategic CX approach that aligns leadership, staff, and operations around the passenger journey. Participation in the ACI CX Accreditation program provides tools and insights that directly enhance satisfaction across key touchpoints.
What are the benefits of Level 5 Accreditation?
Achieving Level 5 CX Accreditation signifies the highest standard of customer experience maturity. Benefits include stronger passenger loyalty, higher ASQ performance, global recognition, and a culture of continuous innovation driven by data and collaboration.
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