SEPANG - Langkawi International Airport (LGK) once again won the 2023 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport of 2 to 5 Million Passengers in Asia-Pacific for the third consecutive year. Announced recently by Airports Council International (ACI) World, this award solidifies the airport's reputation as a top-notch facility that consistently delivers exceptional service and satisfaction to its passengers.
The ASQ program by ACI establishes the benchmark for global airport customer experience, employing a rigorous methodology that involves on-site surveys with passengers. These surveys evaluate satisfaction levels across over 30 performance metrics, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of airport services. In 2023, more than 400 airports participated in the programme, collecting nearly 600,000 passenger surveys. This demonstrates the programme's credibility and effectiveness in gathering valuable insights and preferences from passengers, ultimately contributing to the continuous improvement of airport services and facilities worldwide.
Malaysia Airports’ Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Rastam Shahrom said, “In earning this prestigious recognition, the LGK airport community demonstrates an unwavering commitment to consistently delivering exceptional service standards. As Langkawi Island continues to attract global tourists, we are witnessing a resurgence in travel, highlighted by the recent introduction of new airline routes such as flydubai's (FZ) Dubai (DBX)-LGK route. It is imperative that we uphold a top-notch passenger experience, not only to leave a positive impression of Malaysia but also contribute to the vision of making Langkawi an unparalleled destination.”
ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira congratulated LGK’s win and commended the team’s successful efforts in providing a superior customer experience.
“The global growth of the program underscores the trust placed in its scientific and live approach, making ASQ the go-to standard for airport customer experience assessment in the aviation industry. In an era where passenger expectations are evolving rapidly, excellence in customer service isn't just a goal; it's the key to ensuring airports remain not just gateways, but memorable destinations in themselves,” he added.
Last month, in February 2024, Malaysia Airports (the Group) saw local airports recording 7.8 million total passenger movements (international: 4 million; domestic: 3.8 million). This is the highest monthly record since the COVID-19 pandemic and is an impressive 95.8% recovery rate compared to the same month in 2019. The high passenger volume was attributed to the long school and festive holidays, China’s Spring Festival, as well as introduction of new airlines and additional frequencies. Total passenger traffic surged by approximately 12% compared to the previous month record of 6.9 million, with domestic traffic experiencing a 20% spike from 3.1 million passengers in January 2024.
Local airports were instrumental in driving the Group's performance, contributing to 71% of total passenger movements, totaling 11 million passengers. Passenger traffic movements for the Group's asset in Türkiye - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) - remained robust, with 3.2 million passengers, a remarkable 27.4% increase over pre-pandemic levels and representing the highest recovery rate to-date. The international sector, serving as the primary growth catalyst, registered 1.7 million passenger movements, while the domestic sector saw 1.5 million passenger movements. In a move to bolster connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and SAW, Batik Air expanded its service offerings with the introduction of four weekly frequencies for the said route. This expansion not only enhances the air link between Malaysia and Türkiye but also establishes SAW’s longest route and first connectivity to the Far East.