By Aritra Banerjee
GMR Airports-run Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad have received the ACI World’s (Airports Council International) ‘Voice of Customer’ recognition for the second time in a row.
“The prestigious award has been conferred on both the GMR-run airports for their continuous efforts to listen to their passengers, engage and gather feedback to understand their needs and address their concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021,” read the press release issued on the development.
“During these testing times, when new variants of Covid-19 are emerging, airport operators need to address the challenges with a quick turnaround time without compromising the quality of services offered. With the optimal use of resources and technology, GMR Airports-run Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) have ensured compliance to all mandatory Covid protocols in the interest of passenger safety,” added the release.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, both the airports have implemented several passenger-friendly measures such as contactless elevators, contactless information desks, contactless boarding facilities, the promotion of digital transactions, UV sanitisation of passenger baggage to name a few,” the press note highlighted.
Speaking about the development Mr Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO-DIAL, said, “We are honoured to receive this recognition for the second consecutive year in such critical times. This award recognises the efforts of Delhi Airport’s employees and stakeholders’ who, braving the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressed passenger concerns and resolved them in the quickest possible way.”
“Their efforts instilled confidence among flyers. DIAL also continuously enhanced passenger experience through various value-added facilities and services, like RT-PCR test facility on piers for international arriving passengers, the introduction of Rapid-PCR test facility, etc. All these were done in compliance with all mandatory COVID protocols in the interest of passenger safety,” he added.
Mr Pradeep Panicker, CEO – GMR Hyderabad International Airport, spoke about the development as well, “We are honoured to receive this recognition for the second time in a row. We owe this to the support and collaboration of all our stakeholders who made it possible. A committed effort towards passenger confidence in air travel was the need of the hour during the challenging times of the pandemic.”
“In collaboration with the Govt. of Telangana, we introduced many initiatives like Special Police Officers to enforce Covid protocols at the airport, enhanced passenger safety through Video Analytics, additional RT-PCR testing lab to ensure passengers waiting time at the terminal is minimal, etc. The safety and security of passengers is always prime focus, and we continue to passenger-friendly friendly initiatives,” he concluded.
DIAL and GHIAL have also won the coveted ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards for 2020. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has emerged as the ‘Best Airport by Size and Region’ in over 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) and Hyderabad Airport in its category of 15-25 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA). ASQ is the world’s leading airport passenger service and benchmarking programme measuring passengers’ satisfaction while travelling through an airport.
Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was found to foster cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association, and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during critical phases of policy development, ACI contributes to ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sustainable.
