The prestigious Best Airport Awards were held in Istanbul on Wednesday and recognized the best flight hubs across Europe.
From strikes to delays, European airports often make the news for the wrong reasons. But the recently announced Awards for the Best Airports reveal which are the leading centers in efficiency, staff satisfaction and ecological innovation.
The awards are chaired by Airports Council International (ACI), the world’s only professional association of airport operators, representing more than 500 airports in 55 countries.
The 34th edition of the European Region Awards, held in Istanbul, recognized excellence and outstanding achievements in various areas of all ACI members, from large central airports to small regional airports.
Here is a summary of the most notable winners.
A French airport wins the eco-innovation award
The eco-innovation award is awarded to airports that have demonstrated outstanding environmental performance as well as an innovative approach to environmental management.
This year, Toulon-Hyères airport has won the award.
The French hub has achieved reduce its direct CO2 emissions by 92.5% from 2018 to 2022reaching 94.5% by the end of 2023. By the end of 2024, its goal is to exceed 99%.
It has also achieved the maximum level 5 of ACI’s recently introduced Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. This program certifies airports that achieve a net zero carbon balance under your controlly commit to overall decarbonization by 2050, including emissions from manufacturing and consumption.
The airport of Toulon-Hyères He submitted several of these projects in his application and was applauded for his proactive and voluntary approach to eco-innovation.
He Swedish Gothenburg Landvetter Airport also received a special mention in this category.
What is the best airport in Europe?
The Best Airport in Europe Award is awarded in five categories based on the size of the airport.
Turin Airport, in northern Italy, won in the category of less than 5 million annual passengers.
The judges praised the airport’s impressive combination of driving the post-pandemic traffic recovery – reflected in a passenger record in 2023– through a proactive approach to ensure new connections.
The judges also praised the new photovoltaic plant installed at the airport last summer, which covers a substantial portion of its annual electricity needs.
Malta International Airport won in the 5-10 million passenger category thanks to its strong recovery from the pandemic, both in terms of traffic and financial terms.
He was also praised for the efficiency of your operations, the motivation of your team and your sustainability effortsexcellence and innovation in general.
In the category of airports with between 10 and 25 million passengers annually, the British London Luton won the award for its resilience, the satisfaction of its employees and its ambition to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2040.
Despite a temporary passenger limit in 2023, last year was the most profitable and recorded an increase in revenue and passenger spending. Infrastructure improvements included new stores, lounges and an electrified express train service.
ADVERTISINGFollowing a serious car park fire in October 2023, Luton was deemed impressively resilient and able to limit operational disruption while maintaining strong communication between staff and passengers.
Oslo Avinor Airport won in the 25 to 40 million passenger category, maintaining its long-standing reputation for efficiency. The center has a innovative luggage systemdrone detection and autonomous snow removal.
Although Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport is officially the largest in Europe, they were the Istanbul and Fiumicino of Rome those who jointly took first prize in the category of 40 million passengers or more.
Istanbul airportone of the newest on the continent, received praise from the jury for its investment in cutting-edge infrastructure, its strong growth and its operating results.
Sustainability is at the heart of its strategy, which includes plans to build a solar power plant to cover all of its electricity needs.
ADVERTISINGSharing the highest award, Rome Fiumicino took the prestigious victory for the third consecutive year, with the ambitious goal of achieving net neutrality by 2030.
