SINGAPORE, 26 February 2026: Airports worldwide are outperforming other industries in customer experience, with passenger satisfaction continuing to rise, according to the 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards announced on Tuesday by Airports Council International (ACI) World, in partnership with Gold sponsor SITA.
The results come amid continued traffic growth, with global passenger volumes reaching 9.8 billion in 2025 and projected to rise to 10.2 billion in 2026. High passenger expectations are placing increasing pressure on airports to deliver efficient, welcoming, and high-quality experiences at scale.
Best Airports for departures, Asia Pacific, 40 million passengers or more
View the full list of winners: ASQ Customer Experience Awards
What are the ASQ Customer Experience Awards?
ASQ is the only global benchmarking programme that measures passenger satisfaction while they are at the airport, when their experiences are live, providing the most accurate and timely picture of the passenger experience at each step of the journey.
Passengers are randomly selected at departure and arrival gates using a scientifically designed sampling methodology, with surveys collected across all operating hours, days, and months.
Each year, the ASQ Customer Experience Awards recognise airports worldwide that passengers have said performed best across multiple dimensions of the customer experience.
Highlights and the latest findings
Passenger satisfaction increased globally despite continued traffic growth.
Nearly 707,000 passengers surveyed worldwide, in real time.
More than half of the world’s air travellers passed through an ASQ-rated airport.
Border and Passport Control recorded the largest satisfaction gains globally.
Airport ambience and cleanliness were the strongest drivers of overall satisfaction.
Several award categories feature more than 35% new winners.
“Airports are demonstrating that passenger satisfaction can continue to rise despite growing pressure,” said ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci. “These awards reflect the collective efforts of airport teams and stakeholders worldwide. As we celebrate the ASQ programme’s 20th Anniversary, we recognise two decades of trusted insights and recognition that have helped airports create better and more memorable journeys. Congratulations to all the ACI ASQ Customer Experience Award winners for their unwavering dedication to passenger experience.”
“Air travel is evolving at pace, with passengers expecting more seamless and rewarding experiences than ever before,” said SITA Senior Vice President of Borders, Pedro Alves.
What’s driving higher passenger satisfaction
The 2025 ASQ results show that passengers increasingly value clean, welcoming airport environments and smooth, human-centred interactions. Improvements in Border and Passport Control highlight the critical role of frontline staff in reducing stress and uncertainty at key moments of the journey. These findings align closely with insights from the ASQ 2026 Global Traveller Survey Report.
Recognising excellence worldwide
The winners announced this year represent the largest pool yet: 100 airports worldwide were recognised for excellence in passenger experience, with 195 awards presented across all categories and regions, including:
88 Best Airports at Departures
23 Best Airports: Most Dedicated Staff
26 Best Airports: Easiest Airport Journey
23 Best Airports: Most Enjoyable Airport
29 Best Airports: Cleanest Airport
6 Best Airports at Arrivals
In addition, eight airports were awarded the ACI World Director General’s Roll of Excellence, recognising their performance and consistency in delivering a high-quality passenger experience.
The 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards Ceremony
The 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards Ceremony will take place at the ACI World Airport Experience Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 31 August to 4 September 2026. This prestigious annual gathering is the premier airport event dedicated to customer and employee experience. It will welcome over 800 airport executives, customer experience experts, and related professionals to learn about the latest strategies shaping the industry.
For more information on ACI World, visit: ACI World.
(Source: ACI)
