Fraport Greece distinguished itself in the international “2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards”
In an era of intense global competition and great challenges, it is of particular value that the infrastructures of our country are developed systematically and with a plan, standing out on an international scale. A typical example is Thessaloniki Airport “Macedonia”which in recent years has been on a constantly upward trajectory, as a result of the modernization and development projects implemented by the managing company Fraport Greece.
An important international award after evaluation by the travelers themselves
In this context, Fraport Greece was distinguished in the international “2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards”, with “Macedonia” airport emerging as one of the leading airports in Europe, in the category of airports handling 5 to 15 million passengers per year. More specifically, the ASQ Awards are part of the Airports Council International (ACI) global airport rating program; presenting, every year, the world’s top airports.
From left to right: Mr. Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World, Mr. Panagiotis Spyratos, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Fraport Greece, Ms. Elena Avila, Amadeus.
A characteristic feature that distinguishes this particular institution is the fact that the award criteria are based on the direct evaluation by the passenger, which takes place on the day of travel, providing a complete and comprehensive picture of his travel experience.
This particular award, that is, based solely onthe traveler’s opinion for the quality of the airport services provided, his emotional response to the various points of interaction, as well as the overall assessment of his stay in the airport ecosystem.
This special distinction for Thessaloniki Airport “Macedonia”, as well as the high rating of the airport to the more than 30 evaluation indicators included in the relevant questionnaire of the ASQ Awards, practically certifies the high quality of the services offered at the airportwhile it is also a means of strengthening the international visibility, both of the city itself, and of Greece more broadly.
Mr. Giorgos Vilos, General Development Manager of Fraport Greece
On the occasion of this award, Mr. Panagiotis Spyratos, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Fraport Greece, stated: “The awarding of the Thessaloniki airport “Macedonia” as one of the best in Europe, in its category, following an evaluation by the travelers themselves, fills us with joy and pride, being an important achievement, which is credited to all the employees of the airport. As Fraport Greece, we are not resting, but instead we are committed to continue building on these very positive results, devising strategies that will meet the ever-growing needs of our passengers, whether they are traveling for business or personal reasons. Through the continuous upgrading of the services provided at the 14 regional airports that we manage, we aim to offer a safe and unforgettable travel experience, contributing at the same time to the development of Greek tourism and the support of local communities.”
Significant increase in passenger traffic and expansion of airport activities
From left to right: Ms. Maria Moschovoudi, Quality Manager, Fraport Greece, Mr. Panagiotis Spyratos, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Fraport Greece, Ms. Maria Zervoudi, Airport Services & Customer Experience Manager, Fraport Greece, Mr. Thanos Boulasikis, Market Research Supervisor, Fraport Greece.
In this direction, the Thessaloniki airport “Macedonia” is steadily developing by expanding its activities and significantly increasing its passenger traffic.
More specifically, the total number of passengers, during the time period (1/1 – 31/8/2023), amounted to 4,706,261 (+20.8% compared to 2022 and +0.7% compared to 2019). Alongside, the number of passengers trafficked on flights internal reached 1,489,231 (+20.1% compared to 2022 and +1.3% compared to 2019), while the number of international flight passengers at 3,217,030 (+21.1% compared to 2022 and +0.5% compared to 2019), clearly reflecting the dynamics of the Thessaloniki market but also the full coverage of the gap created by the absence of the markets of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, that were present in 2019. More specifically, the significant increase in passenger traffic from the markets of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, England and Hungary during the first 8 months of 2023, fully covered the passenger traffic lost by Macedonia Airport ” because of the war in Ukraine.
Also, the first 8 months of 2023 started new itineraries from existing as well as new airlines, to Tbilisi (Aegean Group & Georgian Airways), Wroclaw (Sky Express), Salzburg (Eurowings), Tirana (Wizz Air), Graz (Smartwings) and Bremen (Sundair).
Alongside, added new routes to popular destinationssuch as Corfu (Ryanair Group), Venice (Aegean Group), Cologne (Aegean Group), Vienna (Smartwings) and Oslo (Norwegian), but also the country of Albania, which did not exist before, as a destination.
From left to right: Mr. Antoine Rostworowski ACI World, Mr. Panagiotis Spyratos, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Fraport Greece, Ms. Maria Zervoudi, Airport Services & Customer Experience Manager, Fraport Greece, Mr. Dimitri Coll, ACI World
Speaking about the development of the airport’s passenger traffic during the current year, as well as the general development of the airport, Mr. George Vilos, General Development Manager of Fraport Greece stated the following:
“From the data so far, it is clear that Thessaloniki has fully recovered compared to 2019 despite the absence of the Russian markets. This development demonstrates the attractiveness of Thessaloniki as a 12-month metropolitan destination, in a wide range of international markets. However, we should not be complacent. The ever-increasing competition between the various destinations, on a global level, imposes – more than ever – direct and coordinated efforts from all the agencies involved in the tourism development of Thessaloniki that will aim at the effective promotion of the city and the wider region in foreign markets .”
