Photo courtesy of Ottawa International Airport Facebook page

How much do you love your local airport? If you frequently travel to and from cities like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago—all home to some of the busiest airports in the world—the answer is probably “not that much.”

Travellers to Ottawa, on the other hand, seem to be pretty satisfied with their airport. Ottawa International Airport was listed among the best airports in North America, earning a second place slot in the Best Airport - North America Region category at the 2015 Airport Service Quality Awards. The annual ranking is produced by Airports Council International (ACI) and based upon exhaustive passenger satisfaction surveys conducated at airports around the world.

“Providing a pleasant travel experience is one of the Authority’s key priorities, and I am delighted not only that every employee is living and breathing the concept each day, but also that our clients are recognizing and acknowledging it each time a survey is completed”, said Susan St. Amand, Chair of the Airport Authority’s Board of Directors.

“The silver medal is a testament to the passion and customer service commitment of the entire airport community. I’m also proud to see our individual scores in many service categories improve year over year” said Mark Laroche, Authority President and CEO. “I would like to thank our airport partners for making a difference and achieving this prestigious honour. I would also like to extend special thanks to each and every client who completed the survey – your time and effort are appreciated, and help us continuously improve to serve you better”.

Toronto also earned a spot on the coveted list, but this time it’s not Toronto Pearson that’s making headlines. Rather, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, also known as Toronto Island Airport, tied for a third place slot on the list.

"To be ranked by our passengers as one of the best airports in the world as part of the ACI's Airport Service Quality Awards is an overwhelming honour and true testament to the work that we are doing at Billy Bishop Airport," said Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto, owner and operator of the airport. "The investment we have made in the airport from developing infrastructure, to partnering with exceptional air carriers, to working with our stakeholders to provide amenities and access is aimed at providing passengers with an exceptional travel experience that makes the airport an enjoyable part of the travel journey. Billy Bishop Airport is an asset to the City of Toronto and provides an important gateway for people to come, go and stay in our amazing city. This award, and the survey information behind this award, validates the work we have done to date and provides us with an important framework for the future of this airport as a provider of customer service and connectivity."  

Ottawa International Airport and Billy Bishop Airport were the only two Canadian airports to make the best-of-the best list, but Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) also earned the designation of “Most Improved.”

“Saskatoon International Airport is committed to being the most valued airport experience in Canada,” said Stephen Maybury, President and CEO of Saskatoon Airport Authority. “Together with our airport partners, we have made significant strides in improving service quality to be acknowledged as the Most Improved Airport in North America.”

“Completion of the $53 million terminal expansion in early 2015 has created space for guests to be comfortable and to enjoy the new experiences the airport has to offer.”

Best Airport – North America Region

First Place
Indianapolis (IND)

Second Place (tie)
Grand Rapids (GRR)
Tampa (TPA)
Dallas Lovefield (DAL)
Jacksonville (JAX)
Ottawa (YOW)

Third Place (tie)
Sacramento (SMF)
Austin (AUS)
Detroit (DTW)
San Antonio (SAT)
Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ)

The 2015 ACI Awards are compiled from results gained by ACI's Airport Service Quality Survey, in which more than 550,000 detailed passenger surveys are conducted at some 300 airports around the world.

"Airports' increasing concentration on ensuring a stellar passenger experience is part of a larger trend," said Angela Gittens, director general, ACI World. "From duty free and restaurants to ambience, cleanliness, courtesy of staff, amenities, efficiency and more, air travelers are expecting big things from the airports through which they travel. More than anything, ASQ is a way for participants to measure the extent to which they deliver on these expectations."

In order to be considered, an airport must have at least 1,200 surveys conducted on site one-year period. The survey asks for feedback on a number of indicators, including check-in, staff courtesy, comfort of waiting areas, and security.

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