Airports Council International (ACI) announced the results of the 2018 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards program, and awarded the Ottawa International Airport gold for the second year in a row in the category Best Airport by Size and Region – North America for airports that serve between 2 and 5 million passengers.
ASQ is an ACI-led worldwide customer service benchmarking program that surveys departing passengers at the airport, and measures 34 key performance indicators. In 2018, there were 376 participating airports in more than 90 countries.
Since joining the program in 2006, YOW has received a total of 23 awards for finishing top three in an award category:
Number of top three placements since 2006
| North America | Size Category | Size and Region* | Total |
| 11 | 10 | 2 | 23 |
*New award category as of 2015
Overall, YOW scored 4.44 out of 5 points in 2018. Improvements of note included Internet access/WiFi, lounge quality, and speed of baggage delivery.
YOW also has the distinction of being an inductee to the ACI Director General’s Roll of Excellence which recognizes airports that have been highly ranked in the ASQ Survey for multiple years.
The Authority recently announced the YOW+ terminal enhancement program that includes moving domestic/international pre-board security screening, concession revitalization, a terminal-connected hotel, and a light rail transit terminal station. Despite the inevitable impact that the construction related to YOW+ will have, customer experience and well-being will remain a priority.
Quotes
“Feedback is the most valuable tool we have as we work to ensure a great customer experience, which makes this award so meaningful,” said Mark Laroche, Ottawa International Airport Authority President and CEO. “Passing the five million-passenger milestone will put us in a new size category for evaluation. With the YOW+ terminal enhancement program set to touch many areas of the terminal, it is critical that we consider the customer experience as the airport is transformed over the next five years.”
“From a client’s first step into the airport to when they board their aircraft, a long list of airport campus employees contribute to making the YOW experience award-winning,” said Chris Carruthers, Chair of the Ottawa International Airport Authority Board of Directors. “On behalf of my colleagues on the Board of Directors, I thank all airport employees and volunteers for their continued focus and our passengers who completed the departure survey – we appreciate their time and their votes of confidence.”
About the Ottawa International Airport Authority
OIAA manages, operates and develops airport facilities and lands in support of the economic growth of Canada’s Capital Region, generating more than $2.2 billion annually in total economic activity in Ottawa and Gatineau.
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